Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction
by VeryEagerPerson
Summary: It's been two years since the murder of Nicholas Wilde, and after months of hard work Officer Judy Hopps has finally brought her partner's murderer to justice. She can finally reach closure for the tragic loss when the decision is made to recover Nick's body, still laying where it fell in an abandoned Arctic prison. But nothing is ever as it seems, and even harsher times lay ahead.
1. Prologue

**Sorry this took awhile to get out; Piloting through this website when your new is like trying to pilot a jetliner through a volcanic eruption. Here's the prologue, though! There shouldn't be any plot holes or grammar/spelling errors, but if you find one, PLEASE tell me. PLEASE. I HATE spelling and grammar errors, especially if I could've prevented them. I hope you enjoy the first words of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

Judy Hopps orderly entered Chief Bogo's office, her eyes cast up at the cape buffalo as he stared out the window across from the doorway. She had arrived at the station later than normal today - her phone read 13:32 when she entered- but she didn't think Bogo called her up to his office because of her unpunctuality. Yesterday he excused her from duty because of what the papers were calling her 'heroic' arrest. That's what she suspected her meeting with him to deal with today.

Chief Bogo turned toward the rabbit standing just inside his office with a smile on his face. Judy smiled back. She knew what she had accomplished within the past 24 hours, and she was very proud of it. After two grueling years of patrolling, interrogating, and lots and lots of overtime, justice had finally been served. Happiness radiated off the small mammal, and Chief Bogo laughed wholeheartedly, proud of the officer before him.

"Congratulations, Officer Hopps," Chief Bogo boomed, moving his hoof up to salute her.

Judy continued to smile, straightening herself to stand at attention and saluting the Chief back.

"Thank you chief," she responded, grateful that he hadn't been sarcastic or critical, "But it wasn't only me. All those other officers on the scene deserve just as much credit as me for the arrest."

With a downward wave of his hoof he signaled Judy to sit down before he turned to take his place across the desk. She complied and sat at attention in the over sized chair, her eyes curiously eyeing a binder filled to the brim with papers awkwardly laying on his desk. Chief Bogo saw this but ignored it for the moment, returning instead to what she had said a moment before.

"To some extent you're correct, Officer Hopps," He agreed, praise in his voice, "But none of those officers took 100 hour work weeks for two years straight. Nor did any of them go through what you had to. I know losing him was hard, but you've pulled through spectacularly."

At his words and against her will, Judy's mind pulled up a memory from the deepest recesses it contained. She had relived the experience a thousand times over, and after every time she felt more and more depressed. The memory of first finding out that her partner was gone forever...

* * *

It had been a relatively calm work day for the ZPD. Criminal activity on the streets of the city always lapsed mid-summer, save for Tundratown. Nick had left about a week prior, heading to a maximum security prison called Arctic One to interview a suspect on a long abandoned cold case. Together she and him had solved many of these cases, ranging from kidnapping to petty theft. This one had been no different; about a year before the struggle with Bellwether a large amount of money went missing from the Central Bank of Zootopia. The huge safe which held the CBZs funds had been unopened, yet no cash was to be seen inside. There was only one suspect, but the raccoon had never been charged - there was simply no evidence against him! It was only after she and Nick had linked him to the Grizzly Brother, who was serving time for several violent atrocities, that Chief Bogo reopened the case. Now Nick got the fun part, interrogating the huge Kodiak bear, while she stayed behind to fill out the paperwork of other crimes.

Judy was sitting at her desk, filling out online forms from incidents reported by officers on duty. The mid afternoon sun hit her grey fur, reminding her of the dawn light she had observed from her tiny apartment window earlier that day. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head and shutting her eyes tight. When they opened again her paw lazily moved the report she had just finished onto her 'done' pile, which was by now more than a thousand pages high and towered above her as she stood in her standard one-size-too-huge chair.

"This needs to be smaller," she said tiredly, taking the last paper and beginning to punch information into the ZPD database that she could access on her new laptop.

"Why would he..." Judy questioned, amused that a pig had attempted to hold up a pizza shop with nothing but a broom. A smile crawled across her face and a giggle escaped her lips. Nick needs to hear this, she thought, pulling out her phone. Her paw pressed the 'on' button, revealing a selfie of her and Nick in full uniform. She was smiling profusely while Nick stood behind her, sunglasses covering his eyes and a sly grin painted onto his face. It had been on his graduation day from the academy, and she had never been more proud to call him her friend. She opened up her phone app and swiped through her contacts until she reached the name 'Sly Fox' and tapped the icon of a familiar fox next to it. Immediately she felt a vibration in her pocket and pulled out Nick's phone. The bunny sighed with a smile, leaning forward and resting her head on the desk.

No phones while on official trips. Judy thought to herself, imaging what Nick would've done if he was with her now. Her smile grew. She knew exactly what he would would do, or rather say. _Well if I'm a dumb bunny then you, sir, are a jerk fox!_

Putting one phone into each of her pockets, Judy gathered her belongings she had taken to work with her and placed them into her knapsack, which she had started using at her partner's recommendation. Then, as quietly as she could, she slid off her chair and piloted through the rows of cubicles until she reached the commons room, not wanting to disturb the serene silence which rarely came across the Precinct 1 headquarters. The only others Judy saw were a lone black wolf photocopying papers in the back of the office and, thankfully, Clawhauser sitting at the front desk, staring down at his phone and oblivious that a rather devious rabbit was standing right below him. Nick's starting to rub off on me, she thought as her legs extended, propelling her straight up onto the desk and startling the overweight Cheetah.

"Officer Hopps! I didn't expect that you would be finished so qui-" He exclaimed before abruptly ending as his paws attempted to catch the phone he had thrown up in the air a moment earlier.

Judy laughed and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Clawhausers phone was screen up on the desk, revealing the Gazelle App which replaced the pop icons' assistant dancers face with that of the phone's owner. In this case, a slightly unsettling photo of him with a big, toothy grin, looking more savage than happy. Judy smiled.

"Clawhauser," She began, "You know that app is, like, two years old, right?"

The cheetah snatched the phone up from the desk, taking her eyes with him. His face changed from worried to calm in half a moment and he waved his paw as his lips made a pffffft noise.

"Yeah, I know, right?" He said, trying to cover his tail, "I don't even know why I have this anymore."

The receptionist cracked an eye to see if he had tricked Judy, but dismay appeared on his face when he saw her arms crossed and foot tapping on the table. Clearly, his rouse had not worked.

"Please, Judy!" He begged, squatting behind his desk so that only his eyes were visible, "Don't tell anyone else! I just really, really like Gazelle!"

Judy pulled out her phone, typed in the password, and scrolled through her apps until she came across the one she was looking for. Turning it, Clawhauser sighed and let out a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry. EVERYBODY still has the app, Ben," Judy said, a playfully mocking grin coming onto her face. "Your secret is safe with me, _Mr. Gazelle_." The cheetah smiled back, moving to sit up in his chair again as she slid her phone back into her pocket.

"My my, Judy! A little devilish today, aren't we? Your boyfriend must be rubbing off on you!" Now it was Judy's turn to feel uncomfortable.

"He's not my boyfriend, Clawhauser. I've told you this how many times?" She rhetorically asked, her eyes rolling.

Clawhauser just _Mmm Hmmed_.

"Yeah, you two aren't dating like I don't love donuts," He jested, his many chins being held up by his massive paws.

Judy grunted, wanting to change the subject.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, noticing that she still had barely seen any mammals, even outside of the doors of the station.

Clawhauser followed her gaze out the doors and into the street, baked in the sun. Thankfully, his joking stopped.

"Most went home about fifteen hundred. It's too hot for all mammals, not just criminals," He replied.

Judy shrugged. "Alright, then," She said. The receptionist was right. It was mid-July, and the weather- while not dangerously hot- was the perfect temperature to keep criminals at bay and empty the bustling streets.

"I think I'll head out for the night," Judy finished, jumping down from the desk and waving Clawhauser goodbye.

"Bye Officer _Wilde_!" he replied, standing up and waving. Judy shook her head as she emerged out onto the sidewalk.

Boy, was it hot. Judy panted as she slid on a pair of sunglasses which closely resembled Nicks. A bus roared past her, and she was tempted to run after and board for its cool, crisp air. But she decided against this- her apartment was only a few blocks away, no more than ten minutes from the station. It's proximity was the driving factor why she was renting the place, besides that fact that she had a tiny budget. Trying to focus on something besides the sweat beginning to form on her forehead she pulled her phone from her pocket and hit in her password. But instead of going to the gazelle app which she had opened before, her phone instead began to play a very ... disturbing ... video of a tod and a vixen doing ... intimate things ... together. The audio wasn't much better, with loud groans and grunts coming out of the speakers, regrettably turned up to the highest volume.

Panicking, Judy muted the video and closed out of the app. She looked up from the device to see a clear sidewalk and a almost empty bus stop. Almost.

An elderly sheep dressed in a purple gown was staring at her angrily, her face scrunched in disgust. Judy's ears flushed with red and fell behind her head before she began to run toward the street corner ahead. Until she turned onto her street, she continued to feel the burning gaze bore into the back of her skull.

Her ears still behind her head, Judy sighed with relief but was still filled with embarrassment. _For carrots sake, what was that!_ She thought, remembering how she had exited out of her ... private ... pages last night. Looking back down at the phone, which was easier to see in the shade of the building she was leaning against, she noticed that the background was no longer of both her and Nick, but instead a close up of Nick in full uniform.

Judy closed her eyes and softly banged her head against the bricks she was leaning against, an embarrassed smile forming on her face. Her free paw reached down into her other pocket and pulled out the other phone she had put there earlier. Both had the same cases, passwords, and lock screens. The only difference was in the backgrounds; hers was Nick and herself sitting on a park bench, smiling into the camera, while his was of his uniformed self.

"Nick, even when you're not here, you still embarrass me," She said, opening her eyes.

She turned off her partner's phone and put it back into her pocket, sighing. Her legs, able to work again, began to guide her down the final stretch to her apartment. Using her phone, Judy went onto Furbook to see how her friends were doing. _Awww..._ Judy thought while looking at her friends posts. _Fru Fru and Judy look sooo cute together_. Suddenly, an alert appeared at the top of her screen. It was from ZNN. It read:

 **A ZNN Exclusive**

 **Hero cop killed in line of duty - click to read full article**

Judy awwww'd sadly, making her forget about the picture of Fru Fru. Since the 'Night Howler Incident' two years earlier, both her and her partner had met many of the other heroes of Zootopia, some of which had become acquaintances of both of them. _That's so sad. Who was it?_ She thought, sliding her finger over the alert. Her phone switched from Furbook to the Internet, and it took the page a moment to load. As it did, Judy looked up to see that she had subconsciously finished her walk back from the station. She reached for the door to her apartment building when the page finally loaded. Scrolling past the advertisements, Judy finally laid her eyes upon the title.

 **Nick Wilde, Lone Fox cop and Zootopian Hero, killed during Interrogation**

 _What? That can't be..._

But as she continued to scroll down, her hand reaching for the door moved to cover her gaping mouth. Shock filled her magenta eyes, and she felt her heart drop to her feet.

She stared at her phone screen.

A lifeless Nick Wilde, slumped against a concrete wall, stared back.

* * *

The sound of Chief Bogo's hoof slamming against the table brought Judy back to reality. All she saw was the floor, and realizing she had begun to slump, Judy straightened up and sat at attention. Chief Bogo's intense stare hit hard after her memories, but she soon noticed that he seemed concerned, not angry, at her.

"Officer Hopps, do you need a moment? You're getting watery." The chief said, pushing a tissue box on his desk closer to her.

Judy reached one of her paws up to her face gently closed and wiped her eyes. They weren't wet, but damp enough for Chief Bogo to notice. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Everything is alright. Nick is dead. you know that. We've seen that memory lots of times. He's never coming back. But you've caught his killer - this tragedy is finally over. You need to get over him, Judy. It's what he'd want.

"No. I'm fine," she solemnly said, looking back up at Chief Bogo. He managed to crack a faint smile.

"Good," he responded quietly. There was a brief pause before he picked up something on his desk and leaned forward to hand it to Judy. It was the binder she had eyed earlier.

"What is this?" She asked, opening it up to find what appeared to be finance records.

Chief Bogo took his eyes off his officer's and instead stared out the window which looked out into the commons room of the station. "Yesterday, Officer Mabel was storing some evidence from a recent burglary in Savanna Central when she knocked over one of Officer Wilde's personal items."

Judy looked up from the binder. Nick didn't have a will, or if he did, it wasn't found, so the ZPD had taken all his personal belongings here at the station and put them into evidence storage in case they became useful in his own murder investigation. They would've done this with the property at his apartment he had told her about, yet after months of searching the place he always spoke of had yet to be found. Judy continued to look at the chief, but his gaze still avoided hers.

"What did she br-"

"A flower pot. Still with the shriveled flower. But within it, there was a hidden document," Chief Bogo interrupted, moving his silent stare back to her gaze. Judy felt her heart pounding and blood rushing to her ears. She was anxious to know what the paper was.

"It was his will," Chief Bogo said, "And he left everything in evidence to you."

Judy was stunned, and she shook her head mouth agape, her eyes moving down to the binder in her hands. She noticed, in awful handwriting, that there was a name at the top of the front page. It read:

Nick Wilde's finances, April 1996

It's spelling was awful and the writing itself was barely legible, but her heart warmed at the sight none the less.

"That's his financial record. That two hundred dollars he said he made a day may have been a bit of an overstatement," Chief Bogo said as he observed Judy reading over the information, "The remainder of his personal items will be delivered to your apartment by week's end. The ZPD sees no use of them in the trial against the Grizzly Brother. We can already put the monster away for life because of all his other torts."

Judy looked up at the Cape Buffalo before closing the binder and holding it close to her chest.

"Thank you," She whispered, emotion taking control of her thoughts and her ears falling behind her. "Thank you, Chief Bogo."

The Chief smirked, and Judy saluted him.

"If that's all, chief, I-"

"That's not all," Chief Bogo said, interrupting her again. Her ears became half-perked half-limp and her eyes focused in on his brown eyes.

"With your arrest of the Grizzly Brother, Mayor Lionheart has decided that Officer Wilde's body shouldn't be sitting in an abandoned prison in the arctic," Chief Bogo paused for a moment, a genuine smile coming across his face, abandoning all signs of aggression toward her over both of their careers behind. "He's put me in charge of recovering Officer Wilde's body, and I want to give you the honor of being the first mammal I ask to be part of this expedition."

Judy silently gasped, and real tears began to form in her eyes. She was so happy, yet so sad. She would get to see her partner and best friend be put to rest. This was what she had wanted since his murder, and it was truly a dream come true, yet her heart felt that all hope was lost. She had hoped that maybe, maybe Nick was alive at the top of the world, no matter how preposterous that sounded. But with the chief telling her this, that hope shattered and was replaced of a sense of closure. Both Nick and her would be at peace soon.

"I accept," She barely breathed.

Chief Bogo stood up from his desk and walked over to the door. Judy followed him with her now very watery gaze and opened her mouth to say something. But he shook his head, smiling at her as she clutched the binder with all her strength, and motioned her out the door. Judy mouthed 'thank you, chief' at her superior as she slowly made her way out the door, her ears flat behind her head.

Her feet carried her to the elevator to the elevator and she hit the down button, her mind on autopilot as she still took in the news. She was thankful that no one would see her in her current state as she boarded the elevator, because as soon as the doors closed her knees and tear ducts gave out.

Shaky breaths escaped from her as she clutched Nicks possession, now her possession, to the point where she was surprised that the vinyl binder hadn't snapped yet. Soon, everything would be finished. Soon, her and Nick's friendship would be over. Soon, her best friend would be lowered into the ground within a casket. Her breaths shortened and quickened. _Why I am so sad? This is such great news! We'll both finally be at peace. And eventually we can be friends again, once I've joined you, Nick._ She Paused. _I'll see you then, you sly fox. I'll see you once I've finished making the world a better place so that no one has to go through what I've been through ever again!_

Despite her reassurances, she failed to answer the question she asked herself. There was an unspoken sadness which had plagued her heart for the past two years, and It felt stronger than ever now. What was this? It was more than sadness. More than most other emotions. More than everything... But the elevator beeped, drawing Judy out of her thoughts. Her eyes opened and legs straightened. She had to be strong, for Chief Bogo, for herself, and especially for Nick. He wouldn't want her to be sad. A final sigh escaped her as the tears in her eyes disappeared and the midday light filled her vision.

"I miss you so much, you dumb fox."

* * *

 **Wow! What a time, right? This chapter was edited and updated on August 19.**


	2. Chapter One - Frigid

**Well well well, Hello again! Sorry it took a while to get the first chapter posted. Vacationing with family is difficult, especially when you have no WIFI. I hoped you enjoyed the prologue; already 10 followers last time I checked. Thanks so much for those who have reviewed it, and I hope you enjoy the first part of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction!**

* * *

"Officer Hopps!"

Even Chief Bogo's thunderous voice couldn't quite shake the cold out of Judy. She turned and looked back through the small hole her fellow officers had drilled through the concrete barrier. This miniature entrance was now the front door to Arctic One.

"Yes Chief?" She replied, her shivering arms curled around the thick purple jacket tightly hugging her chest.

"I'm putting the generator through now!" A yellow and black motor appeared in the entrance, temporarily blocking out all sunlight. Judy grasped it by its handles and pulled it through, the creaking of its wheels adding to the noise of the arctic wind gently streaming through the hole.

The machine was heavy, but she could handle it. Years of policing had turned her small body into a muscular powerhouse. Once inside she slumped beside it, resting her head while quick pants escaped her. The cold was already beginning to take its toll on her, despite it being only ten minutes into the recovery

"Officer Hopps, Is the generator safely through?"

Lifting her head, Judy stopped panting and shouted back.

"Yes Chief!"

"Good. Remember your goal. Left at the T. Code 223."

"Understood," She responded, rising slowly and gripping the handles again. The chief had drilled the annoying rhyme through her head over the two weeks the boat had taken to get to the prison.

Step by step, she made her way until the sunlight from the hole shinned no more. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled her flashlight out and flicked it on. The light revealed very little new. A long concrete hallway greeted her, tall enough to allow even Officer Francine, an elephant, to stride with comfort.

She squinted. In the distance she vaguely saw a doorway leading from the left wall. Absolute darkness lay beyond that. Placing the flashlight in her mouth so she could use both arms to pull, she began again.

Her progress was slow; her sense of smell waned because of her sinus congestion brought on by the freezing temperatures. She had always hated the cold. It never snowed in Bunnyburrow, except for one or two winters early in her childhood which had made her a very happy kit. But these experiences had been unique and brief. Sometimes Chief had tasked her and Nick to patrol Tundratown, but, again, that didn't require her to pull an engine equal to her weight in -50 degree weather. They had had their share of chases, but most of the action took place within the confines of their cruiser. Judy snickered, halfway to the door. There had been more than one awkward moment when she and Nick had to share warmth in order to stave off the brutal temperatures encroaching on their paradise. She and him hadn't done anything - that was flat out wrong! They were best friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

Several more moments of hard work, amusing thoughts, and deep breaths and Judy reached the doorway she had seen before, arms sore. Her eyes wandered up the wall, reading the sign. _The office._ She peered in with clenched teeth, hoping her flashlight wouldn't slip. There was a stillness to the air; papers lay scattered across the floor, just like the witness reports said.

She couldn't help but feel angry at the sight. It had been the wardens who kept the Grizzly Brother in check, and up until her partner arrived at Arctic One they were doing a fine job. But as soon as he entered the cell all heck had broken loose. It was then that they failed at keeping their single inmate restrained, and as a result her best friend was killed. Yet, deep down, she knew she couldn't hold the wardens accountable for her partners death. The guilt and public scrutiny they had to go through cost them the community's respect - and their badges. All because they failed at a job they spent their entire careers preparing for. In the end they were just unlucky, not guilty of murder. That verdict was saved for another mammal.

Judy turned and got back to her mission. The concrete door had to be opened. Whether or not the prison had been abandoned for just over two years, it was still a crime scene. And now that she had captured him, the operation to recover her partners body was the last chapter to the investigation.

The generators' wheels stopped squeaking. Judy stared up at a large metal door, her flashlights glow eerily reflecting off it. She didn't need to read the sign to know what room this was. _Solitary Confinement_ , she thought grimly. Behind this door was the body of her partner. The only postmortem image of him appeared in her mind, making her shudder. He had come to this remote, desolate place - to this very room, in fact - for the interrogation of his to be killer. Arctic One was reserved for the most brutal of criminals, and the monster that slew him did apply. During Nick's final meeting the huge bear had torn off his chains and thrown the table used during the session straight at him, pinning him between concrete and metal. When the table fell his body had been there, slumped against the wall. Lifeless.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. In just a few weeks, justice would be served, and Nick would be at peace, buried as a hero. Her mitten-dressed paw touched the door.

"Soon," she whispered, flashlight still in mouth. Chief Bogo's irritating rhyme sprang into her mind, putting her back on track. _Left at the T._

In this situation, the T was the intersection of three hallways. To her back was the office and the entrance. To her right and left lay impenetrable darkness.

With clenched teeth, Judy turned away from the room her friend lay in without looking back. Her arms felt ready to quit. Her breaths became shorter and shorter, and eventually she decided that It was time for a break. However, as soon as the thought passed through the elaborate system of decision making in her head a reflection caught her eye. She knew exactly what It was. The Generator Room, she thought. There would be no break for the moment.

Reports said that the door had been closed on the day of the ... Judy shivered ... _murder_ , but she found that it was cracked open ever so slightly. She never liked using that word. It felt disrespectful to use such brutal language.

She shrugged as much as she could with her arms drawn out, still attached to the generator.

The vessel she and Bogo had used to sail here was a research ship, and there were several scientists which had accompanied the ZPD to the arctic for unrelated reasons. One of these researchers, a rather shorter giraffe which Judy hadn't gotten the name of, was an expert at physics. He had told Judy about the properties of metal when exposed to the cold after long periods of time. He said the information may come useful during the investigation, and in Judy's mind it had.

 _The door must've popped open_ , She thought as she pushed her way through the door.

Her flashlight illuminated the entire room, thankfully, and the previously multitudinous black vanished. Against the wall opposite her were all the plugs and switches which made up the electrical grid. It didn't have a casing over it like other grids she had seen before - It was too large for that, so the architects of the building instead put the entire system on a wall, unprotected. The frost gently layered on top of the buttons and plugs gave the room a ghostly white glow.

Judy made the last push - or pull, toward the backup power socket, conveniently located at her eye level. She dropped the generator behind her and took the flashlight from her mouth. She had clenched it a little too hard with her teeth, but ignored the annoying feeling in her jaw as she studied the plug.

This is the right one, she thought to herself as her paw reached behind and grabbed the cord to the generator. The lights flicked to life a moment after the plug was in and the switch was activated.

The flashlight returned to her pocket, and she smiled to herself. That soon is now, dumb fox! she thought in a bittersweet voice. She'd miss his little comments and nicknames until the day she died. Turning to return to the hallway, something next to the doorway her caught her eye. Well, to be exact, It was 208 somethings. The smile on Judy's face became still as ice as she looked over the irregular marks.

A sudden, dark realization washed over her. She knew exactly what these marks were. Her already exhilarated heart began to beat out of her rib cage and her paws moved up to cover her mouth, finding that it was wide open. Against the wall there were carvings, but not just carvings. Scratch marks. Single lined scratch marks, almost resembling tallies. All were horizontally and vertically parallel to each other.

Judy, shocked and upset, shakily picked up the radio which hung on her police belt and held down the talk button.

"C-Ch-Chief?" She stuttered out. There was no response from the cape buffalo.

"Chief! There's something here..." She continued, her eyes beginning to glaze.

Still no answer. Chief Bogo would've responded if he received the message, but the huge concrete walls of the prison prevented all transmissions from leaving. Judy kept her eyes on the scratches as her feet began to move, at first at a snail's pace but turning into a cheetahs sprint. She had to get the chief to see this - he had years more experience than her. He'd know what to do! The glazing over her eyes became an icing. It wasn't just the cold - her heartstrings were being pulled in a dozen different directions. She hadn't been this upset since she had learned of his passing...

All because she had a suspicion of the meaning behind the scratches.

All her previous soreness from pulling the generator gone, Judy reached the office in seconds. In the light she saw the papers still scattered on the floor and the door control on a nearby desk, surrounded by open filing cabinets. She clumsily hopped onto the desk, falling as her foot caught on the rim. She scrambled up, her nose sore from the impact, and looked down at the control. Over her panicking, Bogo's stupid rhyme echoed in her mind. _Code 223_. Her paws punched in the numbers, and she faintly heard the huge concrete block begin to rise. Rushing into the hallway, her panicked eyes saw Chief Bogo at the head of a group of officers trudging out of the deep snow and into the building.

"Chief!" she shouted with a little too much emotion, "Something's wrong in the generator room!"

Within the same moment of her exclamation she was rushing back to the room, vaguely hearing the chief barking orders. She didn't know if they were for her or the other officers, but right now she didn't care. As good an officer as she was, the thought of her partner being left alone to die inside a prison didn't sit well with her.

In seconds she was back at the scratches again, staring at the nearly unending pain carved into the wall. She couldn't take it anymore. Her breathing rapidly increased along with her heartbeat. The air had begun to warm, and the tears now slowly descending from her amethysts didn't freeze immediately. Instead, they made it halfway down face, encasing her cheeks with a thin layer of moisture.

The Chief rushed into the doorway, staring down at her with a stern expression.

"Hopps, what is causing you concern?" He almost shouted.

Judys' eyes flicked between him and the scratches, and eventually she raised a shaking, pointed paw.

"That," she whispered.

Chief Bogo moved into the room and stood next to her, slowly taking in the horror. Judy watched him closely. His eyes frowned, his breathing became heavier, and his mouth cracked open in outrage and shock.

Now it was her turn to freak out. Her eyes were really beginning to let the tears flow, and a sick feeling crawled into her stomach. What was it? She had felt it before, right after she and Nick arrested mayor Lionheart. Right at the press conference...

Judy's heart stopped and her eyesight became distant. The feeling was guilt. Guilt for leaving Nick to die in these terrible conditions. She was on the verge of absolutely breaking down. Oh, why couldn't it have been her instead of that dumb fox? They were both great officers, but she would gladly swap places with him at the drop of a hat. As long as he was still alive...

Judy nearly jumped when she felt a hoof shaking her, and her eyes returned to see Chief Bogo's intense stare.

"Officer Hoops, as I said a moment ago, do not let your feelings get in the way of your duty. This is no birthday party when you can cry and smile as you will, it's an active crime scene."

Judy blinked heavily, the tears disappearing from her eyes and all emotion leaving her thoughts. She knew the Chief was right. Over the four years she had been in the ZPD she had only shown emotion on the job twice. Once was during the Night Howler Incident, but Nick had saved her behind there by standing up to Bogo, and the other in the days after she learned of her partner's death. No matter her relationship with the victim or those involved in a crime, she was still an officer of the ZPD, and it was her duty to investigate any crime committed within its jurisdiction.

She stood up from the concrete floor she didn't even know she had fallen to and looked at Chief Bogo with an unwavering stare.

"I understand, Chief ," She said, slowly striding up to the wall and running her fingers over the scratches. "I am an officer of the ZPD. My duty lies with the mammals of Zootopia first and foremost, and I shall serve them by investigating this scene."

Her purple gaze swept over all the scratches, noting every little detail. Her feet carried her small frame up and down the length of the wall. She was deep in thought, putting her years of police investigation to work. Chief Bogo observed the scene and the officer quietly.

The scratches were large enough for someone of Nick's stature to carve easily without damaging his claws, and most were parallel to one another. Judy counted how many parallel scratches there were until the change. 168. She turned toward Chief Bogo and closed her eyes, preparing what she was going to say. Her radical suspicion of the meaning behind scratches was correct- and he wouldn't like it one bit. It'd be a lot of paperwork.

"Chief Bogo," She began, staring up at him as he stared down at her curiously and folded his arms over his heavy navy blue jacket. "Based on the evidence from the scene I believe that Officer Wilde survived his 'murder' and used scratches carved into the wall as a calendar."

Chief Bogo raised an eyebrow.

"A radical statement, Officer Hopps. How can you prove it? What you said reminds me of some of the tabloid garbage which I've seen come out of the slums of Savanna Central."

"The scratches are the size of Nick's claws, sir. And since there weren't any other mammals here-"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Hopps. Trust evidence, not instinct."

Judy smiled.

"Chief, how long does the standard ZPD generator last after a lock down has been initiated?"

Chief Bogo looked down at her without flinching.

"Officer Hopps, if I didn't know basic information like that then I wouldn't have become police chief," He said. Judy's ears perked up as she heard a tiny curse escape from his lips.

"But I could be reminded."

"24 weeks. Or 168 days," She responded enthusiastically.

Chief Bogo raised his hoof and rolled it. "Get to the point, Hopps."

Judy spun around and pointed at the first unparalleled scratch.

"All scratches are carefully cut, completely equal to each other in size and depth. Up until day 168. Then you start to see much more stressed and unparalleled scratches. That's when the power and heat ran out, so if my suspicions are correct then Officer Wilde was probably under large amounts of stress when he scratched in these last ones," she continued, a satisfied grin coming across her face but her heart hurting at the words.

Chief Bogo looked at the scratches past the point she had mentioned. Judy looked up at her boss, watching him take in the whole situation. She was about to speak in another attempt to convince him when his eyes reached hers and his hooves became crossed against his chest again.

"Excellent work, Officer Hopps. Not as tabloid as I expected," He congratulated. Judy's insides warmed. That was, by far, one of the nicest compliments she had ever received from the hard-headed buffalo. But his intrusive stare returned to her in less than a moment.

"But where is Officer Wilde's body? If this is where that fox spent his days, as you think, wouldn't he be resting here?"

While he did have a point, Judy knew he was wrong. Thank gosh she had met that short giraffe! It all had to do with the concrete.

"Nick did spend his days in here. Up until the power went off. This room is directly connected with the ventilation systems, so when the heat went off this room would've been much colder than it is now." Judy said, her eyes quickly darting to a small vent above Chief Bogo, "Concrete acts like a refrigerated cup with your morning coffee inside. If your coffee's hot then it'll stay hot. But if your coffee is cold, then you'll be a very sour mammal."

Silence fell between the two as Chief Bogo pondered on her words. Judy knew where her partners' body was but decided that It was time to give her boss some credit for the discovery.

"So if Officer Wilde left the room once the heat failed, then he would've gone to the next warmest room. So his body is where it was originally..." Chief Bogo said, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he stared down at the small mammal below him. Judy nodded. A slight feeling of dread overcame her as he smiled.

"Officer Hopps, I believe it's time that you and your partner were reunited."

* * *

The door to solitary confinement, which doubled as the only cell in Arctic One as well as the interrogation room, had already been opened by one of the half dozen officers which had accompanied Judy and Bogo. As they walked, the only sound the two mammals heard was hooves and booted paws quickly making their way to the entrance of the tomb of their deceased co-worker.

Judy entered first, surveying the scene. The chains which had kept the Grizzly brother in check were lying neatly on the floor. Had Nick cleaned before his death? He never cleaned anything! The table and chair he had been using during the fateful day also didn't match the last photo from inside the room. Instead of being slammed against the right wall, they were propped up neatly against the left one.

Judy's calmness which had aided her with the scratches began to fade. This was her best friends final resting place; the same place she had longed to visit for the past two years. Once she had learned of her partner's death depression caught her violently. She had been excused from policing for two months with full pay, and within that time her parents came to visit her on several occasions, usually no longer than a few days. Even though they had only met Nick once before - when they came to the city to celebrate her first Birthday outside of Bunnyburrow - and never knew him personally, they felt the same loss which she did. Since then, with their help, her depression had stopped dead in its tracks. But the feelings of sadness and anger which nearly destroyed her life continued for months after she returned to the ZPD. To combat these cases of raw emotion, she focused on the happy memories she and Nick shared. Bellwether's reaction when she learned of her defeat was one of her favorite moments, along with her partners annoyance during the "Teleporting Pickpocket" fiasco. But, in the very back of her head, she knew that the "19 days with no tears" record would be reset to 0 very soon.

As Chief Bogo followed her into the room Judy felt a hoof on her back guiding her toward the right corner. In said corner was a ZPD uniformed wolf, whose name escaped her for the moment, squatting over something equally mysterious as his name. Above her, a booming voice disturbed the silence of the room.

"Officer Wolfenstein, give us some privacy."

The jet-black officer stood and walked toward the exit, his gaze full of distress as he looked down at Judy. He paused for a moment as he stood beside her, dropping something orange into her outstretched paw.

"You're gonna need this," He murmured, eyes full of concern. She looked down and immediately choked up for words. It was her carrot pen, covered in frost. A memory flicked to life in her mind. It was of her and Nick at the docks, on his final day in Zootopia. The sun shinned on their last embrace, a smile in both of the their faces. She pulled away first, her uniform slightly damp with sweat as the hot July sun beat down on it. Nick was much more relaxed than she was. They stood, staring at one another, waiting for the other to make the first and final move. Judy did, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the same pen she held in her paw now. She wanted Nick to have it to remember her by for his weeks away. She handed it to Nick, who accepted it with a slightly mocking grin.

"Cottontail, I don't want my last words to be recorded on a carrot pen," He said playfully. Looking back on it his words seemed very morbid, but at the time she had just playfully hit his arm.

"Yeah, but it's all I got," she replied.

He had snickered at this and turned to board the ship.

"See you in a few weeks, Sweetheart!" He had called behind a wave of his arm as he walked up the boarding ramp.

"You too, slick Nick!"

The memory ended in darkness. Judy moved her thanking gaze to where Officer Wolfenstein had been, but only a shadow remained. Now she had a chance of hearing her best friend's voice one final time. Chief Bogo gave a tiny huff and both mammals began walking toward the corner again. When Judy finally saw what Officer Wolfenstein was squatting over her mind whirled, her heart stopped beating, and her eyes became glued to the sight.

All because of the body of Nicholas P. Wilde before her. He was curled into a circle, his snout resting on top of the base of his tail. His eyes were closed, the green glow gone from them forever. His uniform was ragged; you could see his matted fur in some places, and even more frighteningly, the outline of bones beneath it. In one word, he looked defeated.

Judy was shaking furiously. Even with Bogo's hoof to steady her, her heart continued to beat out of her small chest. She felt the dams in her eyes beginning to burst. Nick was here, dead. Not killed by some enraged criminal, but by starvation and freezing. She could've saved him from this frozen hell. But instead she just cried and wept like a kit. Why had she done that? It wasn't like her at all. But the pain, the suffering she had experienced after losing him. Losing such a big part of your life...

Judy looked down at the carrot pen with heavy breaths and clicked the play button. Her gaze flicked back to her partner's body as his last words echoed around the room after several shivering breaths emerged from the device.

"Well, Carrots, looks like my last words will be recorded on a carrot pen," His words were shaky and tired, but she knew his sarcastic voice when she heard it. A small, sad smile etched its way onto her face.

"Now before you get your ears In a knot, let me tell you that you're the best friend I could've ever asked for. You took me off the streets, made me a cop, whether I wanted to be one or not, and gave me a reason to get up in the morning. Judy, thanks for what you've done to me," The recording continued. Nicks' voice progressively got more and more shaky. Judy held both her hands and the carrot pen up to her quivering lips.

"Don't blame yourself for this - I was the one who volunteered for this mess of a trip. But I don't have any regrets about our time together," the recording played before a sigh echoed out of it, "Life..." there was silence.

Judy hadn't realized she was sobbing as the recording played on but felt ice cold tears rolling onto her paws. Bogo kept his hoof on her back in an attempt to comfort her, but his words fell on ignoring ears. Nicks final words made her collapse, her head bent over as she wept over his body, the carrot pen still held up to her face. Never again would she hear his oddly amusing nicknames, or his sarcastic comments during inappropriate situations. Her Nick was gone forever...

But his last words weren't.

"I always love a good hustle, sweetheart."

* * *

 **This chapter was last edited August 21, 2016**


	3. Chapter Two - Cessation

**What can I say... The responses from this once I posted Chapter One were stunning - number of views as well as reviews over doubled. I'd like to thank all of you for the support I've received in this community. It's so overwhelmingly positive. I love it here.**

 **I rushed this chapter through the production line as fast as I could. Well, maybe not as fast as I could- I have to rewrite and correct it at some point when I am writing. After all the support from the first chapter, I knew I had to reward you somehow. I hope you enjoy the second chapter to Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

There comes a time in a mammal's existence when he or she begins to question their life. Why am I like the way I am? Why can't I be something else? They often ponder on these easily answerable inquires, attempting to create unfeasible answers which only make sense within the confines of their thoughts. Many deliberately avoid the most important question which rocks Zootopia to it's core whenever the public hears it amongst the background noise of their city. The question which no mammal can answer.

 _Why am I here?_

Not here as in a physical sense, such as Why do I reside in Tundratown when I should be living in the Rainforest district? These types of questions can be answered by even the youngest members of our great city. Another way the question can be asked which will make it seem more philosophical is by appealing to ones' true self.

 _What is the point of life?_

When that question is asked a unique answer (which often is affected by what social class one belongs to) will appear in every mammal's mind. Some would say for work, slaving away to make a name for themselves. Many middle and upper class individuals believe this, especially those working in the downtown areas of the city- dotted with great high rises towering over the populous below. Outside of that area, however, the answers to this question become much more 'recreational'.

In the country, as well as in law enforcement, many believe family is the point of life. Rabbits follow this tradition, hence the phrase "They breed like rabbits". But they and other such farming species need these massive family trees to operate the fields which keep the belly of Zootopia full. Predators often do not follow this belief, with the exception of those in the ZPD. This is the main reason why prey outnumber predators in such large numbers, along with other such reproductive biology which will not be discussed.

Religion is a much more common response from predators than prey. The more frightening a predatory mammal is, the higher the chance of them being religious. Hence why animals like polar bears and lions often worship the cross. With de facto speciesism still evident on every street corner in Zootopia, such intimidating mammals need one whom will judge them fairly. This answer is becoming less and less frequent, however, as speciesism begins to decline in the progressive society we live in today.

If one begins to move into the poor and shadier areas- such as the slums of Savanna Central- the responses to this unanswerable question begin to become much more violent and inappropriate. Those involved in illegal activities often answer with regards to power; becoming the main dealer of their goods, eliminating their enemies, etcetera. Those whom still live in these dingy areas yet whom do not participate in the gut wrenching activities which normally accompany these regions produce the most cynical answers. Regardless of predator or prey, reproduction, suffering, and to serve are answers heard more often than not.

But all of these answers are simply opinions. The reality is that this "unanswerable" question is the simplest question in the world, but in our radical mindset we attempt to create answers which serve only our needs. The answer is, and has always been, right in front of us - since the dawn of civilization, and even when every mammal on the planet was 'savage'.

Survival.

This one word is rooted into every mammal's thought process, whether they know it or not. Predator. Prey. It doesn't matter in the end. When anyone is put under such huge amounts of hardship, their mind will revert to that one word until such stress passes. Whoever the unlucky mammal who finds himself or herself in that situation, their primal instincts will take control while their evolved self sits idly, wallowing in the darkness of their own mind. Their instincts echo the one word.

 _Survive._

 _Survive._

 _Survive_...

This single word was the last thought of Nicholas Wilde.

He lay in the generator room, curled around his sly bunny's parting gift to him, his final words to her safely held in the device. He was forlorn yet felt warm at the same time. Maybe that warmth was just the cold taking its final toll on him. But his sadness was pure, and accompanied by something deeper. Emptiness.

Why did he feel empty? He had lived a fulfilling life, considering he was a fox! He stopped Bellwether and a hundred criminals like her, served the citizens of Zootopia over his year and a half on the force, and aided the process of ending speciesism. All because of that dumb bunny.

The same bunny that turned him straight. She was the best friend someone could ask for. He had to survive for her. For their friendship. For their partnership...

Maybe that's why he felt empty. Because he left their relationship unfinished. They should've been friends for years and years, until they were both living potatoes in a retirement home. But the cold and malnutrition had taken its toll on him. All that strength he had shown over his career was gone. He didn't have enough left to survive any longer. He could feel his mind failing. In his last moment, as death consumed him, he thought about her - and smiled.

What he didn't realize was that a single, crooked word escaped from his lips as he exhaled for the last time.

"Survive…"

* * *

But this single word was also his first thought.

Nick awoke covered by darkness. He lifted his head sheepishly, something above him stretching against the push. _Survive._ He thought. _Why is it like this? It must survive._

His legs extended in an attempt to stand, but whatever was above him prevented him from moving substantially in any direction. _It must survive. It must escape!_

Nick drew out his claws and teeth and began to thrash at the object surrounding him. His recently awoken body ached at the sudden, violent movements, but he continued. Within moments the object was destroyed, nothing more than black strips of waterproof cloth hanging off his tools of destruction. The rest of the material was laying, ruined, on the steel table he found himself standing on all fours on. _It has escaped. It must survive._

Nick observed the room, his neck stretching as he turned. The light fixture above him added to the brightness of the white walls and tile counters. There was nothing which limit his freedom - no chains, no weapons, and, thankfully, no one else. He basked in the warmth of the light for a moment as it began to defrost his pelt. A loud rumbling came from his stomach, and he turned to look at his shattered body, still covered in the rags of his police uniform. _It has starved. It is hungry. It must survive._

His body, only recently awakened, strained as he jumped off the table and landed clumsily on the white tiled floor. In front of him there was a huge metal door, revealing nothing of the world beyond it. He searched for another way out, his eyes combing the walls until he saw a small window next to the door. Beyond the small pane of glass was his salvation. _It must leave. It must survive._

He jumped up onto the counter and looked out the thin, revealing surface. There was water as far as the eye could see, and tiny flecks of ice floated by his green gaze. The sky was a sickly light grey, mocking his restriction in the room with its endless freedom. But none of this caught his attention for more than a moment. He flared his nostrils, a faint scent passing by the device twitching on the end of his snout. The smell was stunningly divine to his starved mind. _It is hungry. It must feed. It must survive._

Nick jumped through the glass and landed hard on a wooden, and now glass covered, hallway. The fresh, salty filled air cooled his pelt, temporarily stopping its defrosting. He growled as he stepped on the shards of glass, raising his front paw to observe a small trickle of blood land in a crack between two planks. _It is hurt. It is cold. It is hungry. It must survive._

Nick sniffed the air again. The scent was still there. A deep growl escaped from him. _Prey._

It smelled even stronger here; his stomach erupting with pleasure at the thought of devouring the source of it. He had starved for long enough. The decision was made. He would feed on flesh. _It shall survive._

Nick trudged down the wooden walkway, the tendrils of sleep still entangling him, his paws unfeeling and uneven. He silently followed the scent until it led into a warm, open door. Inside he would be completely concealed, surrounded by high walls on all sides. He didn't like the thought of putting himself in such a vulnerable and confined position. His instincts told him to leave and find food in a less dangerous place, but he wasn't sure he had the strength to do so. He had to survive. _It must eat. It must survive._

Nick moved through the doorway silently, beginning to stalk his prey. The smell was strong; he was nearly on top of it. It was just through another wide open doorway to his left. _Prey. It must eat. It must survive._

He slid through the the doorway, his dangerously skinny frame making him light on his paws, and looked up. There was his prey. It hadn't noticed him yet, instead focusing on something atop a massive desk while its feet stood on an equally large chair. He crept up a little closer to the chair, preparing to attack. The prey was stupid. It couldn't stop him. _It must eat. It must survive._

His mouth opened, revealing his violently sharp teeth which had aided his kind millennia ago. He was only a few feet from his salvation. An aggressive growl shook his feeble frame. He couldn't help it - primal instincts overcame him. _It must survive._

The prey turned and Nick stood his ground. There was shock and fear within the rabbits purple eyes. A small sound escaped from its lips, but Nick couldn't understand it. _Prey pleads!_ He responded with another violent growl, his body ready to strike his meal. Another sound, louder and longer this time, left the rabbits lips. Was the sound sad? It didn't matter. _It must eat. It must survive._

He tensed and threw himself up at his target, his eyes full of primal hunger. At the last moment, the prey ducked under him and his teeth clenched on the side of the desk. Prey Routs! He tore his teeth off the wood and whirled around, the thrill of the hunt filling up every fiber of his body. His quarry stood in the doorway, awkwardly pointing something toward him. Who was this rabbit to defy him? _It must survive._

He crouched again, ready to deliver the killing blow. The prey still shook the arm it held out towards him, but it was motionless otherwise. This would be an easy kill for a predator like himself!

Power surged underneath his sickly pelt. But just as he launched himself a sharp pain took over the feeling in his neck. He landed awkwardly in the doorway on his side, his legs cast out in one direction. What had happened? Had he been defeated by prey? By a rabbit, of all mammals? Why? It must survive! It must eat! It must survive!

He felt an arm around his neck and another lifting his head up to be propped on something small. Soft paws clenched his upper chest, but he couldn't even muster a growl or a turn of the head. He couldn't move anything. He had been defeated by a rabbit! Paralyzed! He had to survive. _Survive! Survive!_

Darkness ate every speck of his vision. He could feel the rabbit's breath on his pelt, her arms holding him tight, her tears on the top of his head. His primal thoughts which controlled him before were still cemented in his mind as his other senses died off one by one.

 _It must survive!_ He thought hysterically.

 _Survive!_

 _Survive..._

* * *

The afterlife was less interesting than even the seminars Nick had to sit through at the academy. There was nothing to do - no more chasing criminals, no more late night drinking, no more nothing. The only 'activities' he could participate in were counting the days since his death and remembering the good times he had when he was alive.

 _I've been here for 544 days. He thought to himself_ , eyes closed.

That very thought consumed the fun from half of his exertions. But, he decided a long time ago, being bored for an eternity was better than an eternity of suffering like he knew some other mammals faced after their rather violent ends.

Was this heaven? Hell? Whatever it was, he wasn't excited by the seemingly endless, empty space which surrounded him. He sat on the darkness, stared at the darkness, lived in the darkness. Besides what was left of his body, barely more than a sitting corpse, there was nothing. His eyes scoured himself intently as if he expected something to have changed. He was thin, his fur was matted, and his uniform could barely cover any part of his body save for his chest. He smirked. It was the only way he could convince himself he was content with his current situation.

When he first arrived in this dark place he wept until his eyes couldn't muster up any more tears. He decided that since he hadn't shown much emotion to anyone, including himself, over his existence then it was only fair that he showed some emotion during his afterlife. His true self had been revealed during those first few months; no longer was he as sly and as sneaky as he had been in Zootopia. That didn't mean his deviousness was dimmed down one bit, though. His sarcasm hadn't been reduced at all and his conman attitude still prevailed, even here. If he hadn't been muzzled by those scouts when he was nine, this is the person he would've become.

Another thing which hadn't changed in him was his pessimism. No matter how long he contemplated life for, he just couldn't see himself thinking positive thoughts all the time. The line had to be drawn somewhere - he didn't want his partner to rub off too much on him. A genuine smile crept onto his face. His partner...

Judy was, truly, an exceptional mammal. It was her that led him astray from the seemingly endless days of scamming citizens out of their hard earned money to a new, righteous path of serving those he had once swindled. Working with her for the final year and a half of his life had been his favorite part of his 34 years in Zootopia. If his fate was truly to die in Arctic One, then he was glad that his last years had been so fulfilling. But, as his pessimistic thoughts had told him before, all good things must come to an end. And this was that end.

His smile vanished and was replaced by a bittersweet smirk. His eyes closed, the darkness around him kept out. _Well, time to get back to the afterlife,_ he thought. A memory began to play in his mind - one of his least favorite moments with his dumb bunny but laughable none the less.

It was a Saturday, and even though they had the day off Judy insisted on bringing her police belt with her just in case they saw any misdeeds taking place. And, just as he expected, as soon as they entered JCHenny they left a moment later chasing a ferret who his partner caught shoplifting. Sometimes her police skills were a little too good.

 _She could let one or two of these misfits go once in awhile, couldn't she? This is beginning to screw up my day!_ He thought as he was gasping heavily. He was trailing behind both Judy and the shoplifter by several dozen feet. He barely passed the cardiovascular endurance test at the academy on a cool day, so running a twenty minute 5k in Savanna Central was absolute misery to him. His partner had what it took, and so did the crook, but he just wasn't built for that kind of activity.

He stopped, panting, and looked down the wide, empty sidewalk at the two mammals ahead. Cars roared next to him as they became more and more distant. _Wait. I know this sidewalk!_ He thought suddenly, his eyes flicking to the shop windows on his right. _I know these buildings!_ The petty thief turned down an alley and his partner soon followed. _And I know where this piece of trash is going._

He straightened, able to breath again, and began to stroll down the sidewalk. He took a small path between two of the towering brick structures which lined every street in the district, their shadows taking the sun off his green Hawaiian shirt. The tight, dirty alley brought up memories of his twenty years on the streets of the city. He was rusty, but he still knew every path and every mammal he had dealt with before. A familiar tune from his hustling days came to his head and exited through his mouth in a loud whistle.

Many quick turns later and he paused behind a corner, his leg sticking out ever so slightly. Any second now, the raccoon would turn and - BAM. He would be the one to claim the prize, glory and all! Carrots would probably be ticked, but she was always the one who got the fame and thanks. Many mammals looked at their partnership strangely - wasn't natural, they said, a fox and rabbit being such good friends. She was the hero of all of Zootopia, while he only had the respect of the predators he hadn't scammed during his exploits. Long ago he accepted that no matter how hard he tried to be a better mammal, it would always be the cute bunny who got the love.

His whistling stopped. He really didn't care about anyone else's opinions, when it came down to it. He wasn't the fox he had been only a year before. He only cared about her opinion of him...

Tired breaths mixed with heavy pawsteps entered his ears. His barely visible foot extended a little further out from the wall, the remainder of his body hidden behind the tight turn. A moment passed silently. In the next there was a huge crash as the thief turned the corner, hit his foot, and crashed into the dumpster propped against the wall opposite the way he had fled from. Nick stepped out and looked down at the now unconscious mammal.

"'Ats what ya get when you try and ruin me and my sweetheart's day," He said smiling, his shoulder leaning against the bricks to his left. A sound of commotion behind him made him turn toward where the criminal had come from. Judy appeared at full sprint a moment later, her ears back, eyes focused, and light breaths coming from her open mouth. Nick's smile continued.

"Carro-" He began, but something halted the words coming out of his throat. His partner was pointing something glowing toward him, and his heartbeat sped up significantly. The small yellow and black device she held reminded him of an object he had seen mere minutes before, attached to her belt. His limbs began to twitch and he fell onto his back a moment later. A huge pain entered his chest.

 _She... tasered me?_ He thought, surprised and outraged. _Dumb bunny! She's always had such sudden reactions._ His eyesight went black. The pain wasn't enough to kill or maim him, but being knocked out was still an unsettling experience. _I told that rabbit to cut down her coffee intake!_ He remembered every second before his mind cut out, and outside of his memory he mustered a chuckle. His mind had become filled with malicious thoughts as he plotted his revenge and his heartbeat had quickened until he thought it would burst out of his chest.

Ba-duum.

The warm memory stopped and Nicks eyes flew open. What was that sound? It almost sounded like a heartbeat, but his own had stopped at his death. The only sound he ever heard in the afterlife was his own voice.

Angry, he scowled at himself. What ignorant thinking! He had died 544 days ago - that wasn't his heartbeat. Only a trick of the mind - a sound from his memory. He slowly shook his head. "Nick Wilde, you dumb fox."

Ba-duum.

There it was again. It hadn't been his imagination! All the anger fled from him, replaced by shock. He stood up, something he hadn't even attempted in many months, and his eager eyes watched the darkness in front of him expecting a great spectacle. The heartbeats stopped and were replaced by the sounds of moving fur. What was happening? All around him was darkness, same as before.

The sounds of moving fur turned into the sounds of thrashing and tearing. A bright strip of light which almost looked like a slash mark took the place of the darkness in front of him. There wasn't anything identifiable projected in it, but it was light none the less. Nick thought he would shed a tear; he hadn't seen such a bright sight since before the power failure in the prison.

The light opened up, taking in the entirety of his vision. His eyes watered and he squinted at the light. Whatever he was watching began to look around the brightly lit laboratory it was standing in.

 _Wait_. He thought. _What am I watching? Who is this?_

Suddenly it dawned on him. He was looking out from the eyes of some mammal, as if he were in their head. Whoever they were, they weren't in an enviable position. It appeared that the mammal he was looking out from had risen from a body bag placed at the center of a large metallic table. Had this character risen from the dead? Nick's view of the situation completely changed as a grumble from a stomach entered his sprawled ears and the figure looked back on itself.

His thoughts stood still, his eyes opened to the size of saucers, and his tail fell to rest on the blackness.

The large, circular vision before him revealed himself on all fours. His strained body, his torn uniform, and his matted fur were all there. He leaned in and placed his paws flat against the vision. "What..." He began, "What is this..."

His physical self turned and landed on the floor, the vision shaking ever so slightly. It observed the huge metal door, the counters filled to the brim with cleansing chemicals, and the barren walls, until it's gaze rested on a small window just above a counter by the door.

"What..." He began again, but his mind stopped his mouth as it went into an imaginative rage. Was this even him? He wasn't the only fox in the world... but he was the only fox with a police uniform torn like the one in the vision was. So was this a dream? He hadn't dreamed here before, and he couldn't convince himself that this was the first occurrence. Maybe this was his final destination, then. Maybe this was his punishment fo-

Nick felt a sharp pain in his right paw pad, jolting him out of his thoughts. The other Nick had crashed through the window and cut himself on a piece of glass, its - no, his blood dripping onto the wood below. He hadn't even heard the shattering of glass, but he felt its effects. Maybe this really was him, and he was a prisoner in his own mind.

The other Nick growled and Nick shuddered, his uniform shaking with him. He had only made that sound once during his life - when he pretended to be savage in the museum exhibit in order to save himself and Judy from Bellwether's schemes. But right now he didn't have control over his body...

A familiar smell of vegetables and deodorant entered his nose and another growl, much more violent from the first, came from his savage self. Nick's ears fell, his eyes opened even further, and he leaned into the circular vision until he wasn't an inch from it. He knew what was happening, and it made him sick to his starved stomach.

"Hopps..." He whimpered, "...run."

His other self began to stalk forward.

"Don't you dare! Carrots, he's coming for you! Get Away!" He began to pound on the vision, his fists clenched so tight that they could turn coal into diamond. But nothing happened. His savage self continued his advance toward Judy over a hauntingly familiar boat deck before turning indoors, where his cries became even louder. But he was helpless. His best friend would be killed by himself, and he couldn't do anything about it. Only she could stop him...

His savage self turned through another doorway and Nick watched intently, genuine tears beginning to force themselves out of his eyes. There was his best friend, the reason he became a ZPD officer, sitting at a desk, unaware of the imminent danger.

"Carrots..." He said, his eyes releasing silent tears over his heavy breathing. "Carrots, please... Leave, before it's too late..."

But she didn't respond. Nick stared downward in despair as the stalking continued. But in his savage thrill his savage self released a small growl. It was the perfect mistake.

Judy's ears perked up, and she slowly turned her upper body toward the origin of the sound. Nick hadn't realized how much he had missed her stunningly purple gaze.

"Nick..?" She whispered, here eyes filled with sadness, confusion, and a thousand other emotions.

"Carrots, run. It's not me. He'll-" Nick stuttered, a dark realization washing over him.

"I'll kill you..."

Over his words Nick heard a growl, and he knew that this was all Judy heard as well. Her eyes became fearful, and she stepped back, her entire body facing his savage self.

"Nick, it's me, Judy... Don't you remember?" She said louder than before, her ears lowering slightly from their erect stance.

A small, sad smile found it's way onto Nick's face.

"Of course, Cottontail. How could I ever forget you?" He murmured between shaky breaths.

Another growl echoed in his ears, and the small smile disappeared from his face. Judy's face became serious and her ears perked again, but her eyes were filled with pain.

"Carrots, you need to run-"

Nick felt his savage self tense his muscles, ready for a killing pounce.

"Now!"

His eyes snapped shut as the sound of jaws clamping on something filled his ears, which were plastered to the sides of his skull. He cracked open his gaze just a little, his tears obstructing objects but not colors. The vision only projected brown.

His eyes flashed open, relief pouring out of them. His savage self had missed his partner and had bitten hard onto the table instead. He straightened himself and leaned toward the vision again, his eyes intense.

"You don't have much time, Carrots," The other Nick got his jaw loose and began to turn towards the doorway. Nick's voice rose.

"STOP ME!"

Judy was standing in the doorway pointing her tranquilizer gun toward him, her arm shaking.

Nick moved both his paws up to the vision.

"DO IT! STOP ME!" His eyes were beginning to turn red. He had no desire to see his partner be hurt anymore by him. Even though they had been thousands of miles apart, he had still felt her tears and her pain as she mourned his death.

His savage self jumped off the chair, and Nick held his breath. There was a flash of grey and a sharp pain entered in his neck. He exhaled with relief - Judy had shot him with the tranquilizer. He felt his savage self's body begin to fail and felt the bruising impact of its limp form hitting the floor. Now Judy was safe from this monster...

She was safe from him...

Nick collapsed to his knees, his eyes focusing on the vision which quickly faded black. His other senses were now the only way for him to observe the situation. He heard nearly silent sobs, and felt Judy's arms wrapped tight around his neck.

"Judy..." He began in an attempt to comfort her, his nicknames for her forgotten. But he knew she couldn't hear him. All his attempts to warn her had been in vain - she saved herself. He couldn't have stopped his Savage self from ripping apart the greatest thing in his life. Panic overtook him as the last of his senses died off. The darkness and silence had returned. Along with anguish, guilt, and tears.

* * *

 **This chapter was last edited August 21, 2016.**


	4. Chapter Three - Hello

**Hovering around 1500 views right now! Over-doubled since he release of chapter two. About 30 followers as well, somewhere around 20 favorites and 15 reviews. With only three parts in these numbers are absolutely stunning. This community is spectacular. Thank you all soooo much for your support in this endeavor.**

 **And before I go on too much, I'd like to thank the following people for their kind words and support.**

Spanksie, coloruserpro, WitheredOmega, DirtKid123, The Delta 42, SvenTheElephant, Zootopian Fulf, xxmofo54xx, spyrofan34, katyusha69, Star912, and the many others whom have accompanied me so far.

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 **Expect the rate of chapter output to decrease within these next few weeks; from here on out, I'll put up the release date of the next chapter at the end of the current one.** **Well, let's get back to the chapter, eh? I hope you enjoy the third chapter of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

"I need to talk to him," Judy stated, eyes focused on her friend in the room opposite her.

Chief Bogo turned his curious gaze toward the mammal next to him.

"Officer Hopps, we've had this discussion before. He's too unstable for direct contact," He responded, his voice laced with a twinge of frustration.

He wasn't wrong - for the past twelve and a half days, ever since her partner had returned to her and the realm of the living, she and the chief had traded very heated words regarding his treatment. Bogo believed that in his current state of savagery he was a threat to any and all who approached him, and therefore should be kept in isolation until they were able to give him the night howler antidote. Judy, on the other hand, thought that this was cruel. It had been Nick who helped her stop Bellwethers plot! It had been Nick who patrolled with her every day of his career, helping rid the streets of criminals! It had been Nick who spent two full years starving and freezing in a prison! Surely he deserved some kind of respect, even in his current state. Right?

Wrong. Bogo was her superior officer, so he was the one who called the shots. She hadn't been too effective at convincing him to let her meet with her partner during her very emotional rage while Nick was tranquilized.

But now that she had calmed herself she carried a card up her sleeve. A card called the Officers code of conduct. Her eyes moved off Nick, chained in the room beyond the one way window, and onto her superior.

"Chief, Wilde is one of your officers, right?" Judy asked, her amethysts prying into her boss's thoughts.

"Yes he is, Officer Hopps. But currently, as you well know, he is incapacitated and needs to be kept in confinement," He said annoyed. Judy nodded and looked toward the feeble fox, who lay on the floor, clips holding down his paws and legs while two metal half-circles over his head and torso kept him from fidgeting. Worst of all, there was a muzzle over his snout.

"Chief Bogo, what does protocol say about the treatment of incapacitated officers?" She asked, smirking. Her eyes went back to her boss, and he didn't look overjoyed. He huffed menacingly before walking over to the entrance to Nick's 'holding cell', which in reality was just a disused laboratory on the ship. The door swung open a little too violently.

"I am not one to violate rules and regulations, Officer Hopps, but Officer Wilde is dangerous and I won't let any officers under my command be injured because they make unprofessional decisions while in his presence," Chief Bogo warned, his eyes stern before they moved to his watch.

"We dock at 1500. The time is 1350," His eyes rested on her again. "You have twenty minutes with Officer Wilde."

Judy hopped off the table she had been watching her partner from and walked over to the doorway. Chief Bogo held up his free hoof, his gaze becoming icy serious.

"But If I feel that you are in any kind of danger, you're out of there and Wilde's going under," He finished, his raised hoof falling to the tranquilizer gun strapped onto the belt slithered around his waist.

"There'll be no need for that, Chief," She said over her shoulder as she strode through the doorway. The rooms barren, white walls made her feel as if she was in some scene from Claw Wars. The size of the room, which had been designed to house machines the size of a hippos minivan yet now only held Nick, was absolutely stunning - her and him could've easily fit into it twenty times over.

The sound of her feet hitting the tiled floor echoed eerily, and as the distance between her and Nick shrunk she caught a low growl coming from behind his tight muzzle. Yet she refused to look at him. She had seen him in his current state long enough.

The distance between them was a foot at most, but her eyes still did not meet her counterparts. She began to silently panic. Why was she here? She had been so concerned about meeting with him that she hadn't thought about why she was meeting with him.

Time stood still for a moment, the gears in her mind spinning full force. She knew what she wanted to say to Nick.

Her legs felt as if they were broken in every possible way, reeling under the weight of the building thoughts and memories in her head. She gave in and fell to sit with her legs tucked up underneath her. It was only then that Chief Bogo closed the large, metal door. The sound of it slamming shut shook the room.

* * *

This was also the sound which shook Nick from his depressive slump. Ever since his savage self had awakened from the tranquilizer a few days prior he hadn't looked out the vision save for when someone entered his room. But it had never been the mammal he wanted to see...

He needed to apologize to her for his incorrigible actions. He didn't quite know how, but he felt like everything was his fault. The pain he caused her. The sadness. And now this.

What had happened earlier was just a terrible encore. Worst of all, he couldn't fight the beast who had taken his form hostage. He had been defeated by himself. Not even defeated - massacred. He never stood a chance in the first place. Why am I still alive? he wondered miserably. To watch all the pain and trouble I'll cause?

Guilt was beginning to become his best friend.

His weary eyes flicked up at the ear-shattering sound, expecting a wolf in uniform. The black canine was the mammal who had become his feeder, and the way he fed his savage self only added to his humiliation. Putting a raw fish on the end of a sharpened stick and pushing it right up into his muzzle made him feel like he was a savage beast with no hope of being anything else.

Though the canine was nowhere to be seen. This time it was a rabbit - and not just any. It was the exact mammal he was waiting for. He forced his legs to a standing position. His head hung slightly forward in defeat yet his eyes remained dry. He had cried himself to death before and it hadn't helped him one bit. Maybe weeping your heart out wasn't always a good way to get over a memory. His paw gently rested against the vision. Against his partner. Against his Carrots.

"Judy..." He began, deciding not to use a nickname, "I'm so sorry. I could've hurt you. I could've-" He paused for a moment, the words caught in his throat. "I could've killed you."

Judy's eyes still did not meet his, even as his savage self growled right in her face. Her legs were folded back on themselves in a relaxed kneeling position and her paws fiddled with one another on her lap. Finally, her perked ears, which had faced toward the wall, now turned to him.

"Nick, do you remember the Night Howler Incident?" She began.

He gave a slow nod while his savage self only growled louder. Where was she going with that memory?

"At the press conference I destroyed our friendship and I almost tore Zootopia apart. I stereotyped you and all other predators. I nearly ruined your life, Nick. But you forgave me for it. I didn't realize that forgiveness was part of your character."

Her eyes finally met his. "Thank you. I never did tell you that."

Her rear lifted up from the balls of her feet and her paws moved off her thighs and began to tug at his muzzle. Nick watched quietly eyes wide. She's removing it.

It was on his savage self when he awoke and it hadn't helped him calmed down at all. His memory of being muzzled by scouts when he was young still upset him greatly. Once the memory was a nightmare to him. But with Judy's help on the gondola, all those years ago, he had confronted that dark time in his life and now it was just a sad memory. Her removing his muzzle was much more symbolic than anyone else could realize. It was forgiveness.

As the muzzle became looser, more and more of his savage self's fangs came into view. Judy made the last pull and the muzzle ripped off of his snout, taking all of his guilt with it. His savage self's fiery green eyes burned into her, and her eyes burned back. It was an unsettling staring contest for Nick, who could only watch his partner's blank face and twitching nose.

His savage self made the first move. His mouth opened up as if to snap at Judy, even though he was in no position to harm her. A snarl erupted from his chasm of teeth. But she didn't flinch. Her scent was strong, filled with unwavering resilience. It lacked even the vaguest thought of fear.

"Stop it," Nick ordered, life reinvigorating him. He stood up straight, his paw still on the vision and his face becoming serious. He had to take control of his body back. Judy, with her eyes still locked with his, moved her paw onto his. Another snarl began in his chest.

"No," He sternly commanded. He knew his attempts at stopping the violent outbursts were useless but he still did it to reassure himself. At the sound of his savage self's snarl the huge, metal door in the back of the room swung open and an equally huge mammal stepped into the room.

It was Chief Bogo.

He looked stern, as always, and Nick moved his paw off the vision and up to salute his superior. He hadn't saluted him in two years - maybe longer. He had never been the most respectful officer on the force.

"Sir," he said politely.

He was glad to see the massive beast he called his superior again. Sure, they weren't friends, but he had always held a secret respect for the cape buffalo even though they had their differences. He was aware that he wasn't the most conventional officer in the precinct. He got the job done the same way he had scammed mammals - quickly and cleanly.

His savage self stared coldly at Chief Bogo, not reflecting his true emotions in any way. This was all he saw, of course, but was shooed out of the room by a wave of Judy's free paw. Her eyes never met him but her ears were tilted in his direction to show some kind of acknowledgement of his presence. The chief grunted and the door slammed shut. Judy began to speak as the metallic echoes continued.

"He said he'd tranquilize you if he thought that you were going to hurt me." She leaned in ever so slightly toward his savage self's stern, but not vicious, face. "But I don't think you'll hurt me."

Her words had been like stone before - hard and cold. But as he slowly took in her words a hint of warmth entered his chest and a small smile made its way onto his otherwise solé not face. Judy had always been the optimistic one, even in the worst situations, and her secretly untroubled tone right now was just another example of this. He stared deep into her magenta eyes. _What's next, Carrots?_ He thought, his sarcasm reigniting within him. _Marriage?_

* * *

Judy continued to grip Nick's restricted paw. He was still in a savage state, but was relatively calm now that Chief Bogo had left the room. She felt the need to comfort him in some way - deep down, inside the emerald pools glaring at her, she could feel the real Nick staring back. The chief's intrusion wasn't a big deal, but it had routed her previously intense thoughts and replaced them with rather humorous ones.

What would Nick say right now? She thought to herself. It was a little game she liked to play once in awhile. A smile cracked onto her face and amusement exerted out of her eyes and attempted to enter the stern ones right in front of her.

"Morning Chief Horny!" She mumbled carefully so that her boss wouldn't hear. Nick continued his sullen glare but she knew that behind his steel expression he was laughing as hard as she would be if 'Chief Horny' wasn't watching them from behind the one way glass.

Nick had come up with that nickname for him when he was drunk out of his mind at a celebration. The whole department had stayed after hours one night for a big welcome back party for the chief. He'd been out sick for two weeks with a nasty cold, and, naturally, Nick thought that the first thing he would want to do would be to drink his heart out. So while the rest of the mammals on the force bought their boss nice gifts, he brought a case of beer. Which the chief barely snorted at.

Nick had put on a sad show, a 'woe is me, I bought the chief the wrong gift' face on him the entire time. But as soon as his superior's attention shifted he wandered off beer in hand. It was only minutes before all the beer was out of hand and in his head. It was her first time seeing him really hammered and for the first hour or so it seemed hilarious. He was wandering around the commons, talking to many of his new co-workers and getting to know them through sly remarks and easy jokes. But the further the night went on the more and more rowdy he became. A few of the officers cast irritated glares at him when he began to spread rumors about their sexuality and he got on the nerves of a few more when he started nicknaming them.

To stop him from embarrassing himself too much, and from getting kicked in the head by Officer Rhinowitz, she had led him into the records room - thankfully lacking it's usual badger.

"See ya, Chief Horny! Officer Hippty-Hopps here is about to rock my world - On-record," He shouted to no one particular. Judy's ears fell behind her plaid pink shirt as they filled with embarrassment. But she had been blessed. No one on the force had heard her partner's profane words.

With one final shove he was through the doorway. She slammed it shut behind her before jumping to lock it. When she landed she began to endlessly thump her foot against the floor and angrily glared at his sly smile. The room was pitch black save for the light streaming in through the blinds on the door window, illuminating his orange fur as he leaned against a table.

"Well?" She said, arms crossed. His half closed eyes and huge grin fanned the fire inside her.

"Well what, Cottontail?" He asked, his arms moving up to imitate hers. She quickly walked up until she was nearly under him and pointed a finger at his face.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde! You need to apologize to Chief Bogo, every officer in precinct one, the city of Zootopia, and me!" She said, her voice progressively becoming more and more murderous. But, as always, Nick kept his cool.

"For what, Fluff? Hwurting your fweelings?" He taunted, bending over so that his nose was only millimeters from hers.

"For violating office rules, Nick!" She yelled, her paws clenched at her sides while her legs strained to keep her balanced on her toes as she tried to match his height. "You're drunk on premises - you could get disciplined! What if Chief Bogo suspends you? And not just that - you need to apologize to everyone for your lies and insults!"

All Nick did was smile down at her twitching nose. He had no intention to apologize to anyone. He only had one intent for the night, and his dumb bunny had walked right into it.

In one fell swoop he picked her up in his arms, holding her head with one paw and her arched back with the other. One of her legs flicked up in the air while the the other barely touched the ground - he was the one supporting her. Their position mimicked a very intimate move she had seen on 'Dancing with the Otters'. Her ears flashed red and she began to breath heavily - embarrassed, somehow, being in this position with her best friend. But his eyes locked with hers and his sly smile became devious.

"First off, Carrots, I'm not violating any rules. The handbook allows the consumption of alcohol as long as the consumer's Blood Alcohol Content stays below 0.12 percent. And six cans of that beer only raises mine to 0.11 percent," He explained, his eyes prying into her frightened ones. "Second, I wasn't being rude to any of the mammals here tonight. I was being funny, and If I hurt anyone's feelings then that's their own fault. Not mine. I'm an innocent fox."

He moved his face much closer to hers. Their muzzles gently rubbed against one another's.

"Third, I wasn't lying. I really did think you were dragging me in here so you could satisfy your little bunny urges which I know happen all year round."

Judy opened her eyes even further as his grin became passionate.

"And I would gladly be your foxy toy."

Judy opened her mouth, speechless, but before she could muster a sound Nick stood her back up and spun her before he strode proudly toward the door. When she caught herself her drunken friend was in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder with the same grin which it seemed was always on his face.

"Sorry, Flatfoot. You can hold it all in for one more night, right? I have to get back to the apartment - I have work tomorrow!" He put up two fingers in a mock salute. "Till then, sweetheart."

Judy stared after him, mouth agape. _What just happened?_ She thought to herself. A very murderous voice responded. _He just sentenced himself to death! That's just what happened!_ Anger and embarrassment filled every fiber of her body. That fox was going to get it now! And not the kind of 'it' he wanted!

She stormed out of the room, fists clenched and eyes burning. Her target was walking away, about to leave the headquarters. She was about to release a battle cry until another officer called out to her target.

"Hey, Wilde! What were you and Hopps doing in the file room?" Officer Delgato shouted as Nick stood in front of the exit, the open door letting in the cool night air. Snarky chuckles came from the other officers standing around the tiger.

Nick turned toward the tiger and the other larger members of the force surrounding him. All were looking at him, including Chief Bogo, who was in the middle of the group sitting down in a massive chair. His gaze was bleak, just as it had been since the start of the party.

A joking smile crawled onto Nick's face.

"Just checking out the Chiefs toys," He responded, the mischief in his voice resonating with the officers. Huge cackles and laughs erupted from the group, some of them bending over and others slapping their superior on the back.

Judy stared onward. Luckily, none of the mammals, save for Nick, had noticed her standing by Clawhauser's desk. The drunken mammal caught her gaze and returned a wink. That made her absolutely furious. How dare he make a fool out of her and their superior officer! Her legs built up power for a short sprint but before she could chase after him the door slammed shut and the cool night breeze was cut off. She'd have to wait until morning to get her grilled fox.

Amused chatter bounced around the huge room, and her embarrassed gaze returned to Chief Bogo. The group around him had returned to their previous discussion, but the massive mammal in the middle of them held his gaze with her. Her partner had disrespected him a little too much tonight.

But, of course, no punishment was ever given to him. He was correct; he could get drunk as long as his BAC remained below 0.12%, and crude banter wasn't ruled off either, even though she personally saw it as insubordination. The only thing she could do was angrily explain his actions the following morning as he dealt with his brutal hangover, deliberately leaving out his inappropriate advances toward her. He didn't have to know about that part.

But the gaze Chief Bogo had cast her after he had left... It had such sullen hate built up within it. She had only seen such a glare from her boss on one other occasion. Nick's funeral.

 _Oh sweet cheese and crackers, his funeral!_ Judy thought to herself. _If I had died then I'd want to know about my funeral._

Her paw began to become damp with nervous sweat but she still kept it locked with his. Her gaze had been connected with his stern one over her memory, and she had no desire to change that. She only dived deeper into his emeralds as she told him about his funeral.

* * *

Nick was in danger of suffocating with all the laughs erupting from his chest. He hadn't felt like this since before his arctic vacation! Judy had explained that nickname to him the morning after what she referred to as his 'drunken rampage'. It had been a crude joke, even for his very low standards, but he loved that kind of humor. When he first heard it he laughed hard, just as he was doing now, even though their relationship was a bit strained for the next few weeks.

As soon as he could breathe again, Nick straightened his fragile form and looked out the vision toward his partner. Her eyes looked deep into his, unseeing to anything but them. He knew her face when she was deep in thought.

Wonder what's going through that carrot filled brain of hers? He thought to himself, trying to pry into the thoughts behind the purple gaze. His smile quickly became awkward as her silent stare continued.

"You really love my eyes, don't you Carrots?" He sarcastically asked. He was beginning to become his old self again. In mind, at least - his body was a far different story. The silent awkwardness between them continued for several moments until, finally, Judy's eyes began to flick around his as if she were searching for someone.

"Come on, you dumb bunny, Come on. You know I'm in here," He said quietly yet merrily, a twinge of sadness plaguing his words. "You've always been the optimistic one." Her eyes finally rested again and she gave a big smile.

"You lazy fox," She began, shaking her head. "You didn't even show up to your own funeral."

Nick's smile became melancholy.

 _My funeral?..._ He thought. _They had one for me? Geez, how much could the ZPD miss a fox?_ But a polite interest took over his mind. For heaven's sake, it was his funeral! If it hadn't gone just right he would have the tails of every officer in the precinct.

"Tell me mo-" He started to say, but Judy interrupted him, following his command.

"There were about 200, maybe 300 mammals there. The department held a big ceremony down at the Singapaw docks, where you left from," She recounted, her eyes shooting sadness into his own. Yet she still spoke with a smile. "All the officers from the precinct brought flowers for your memorial. The Mayor even came down and put up a picture of you."

Nick was astonished. _How much did I mean to these mammals? Wasn't I just some ex-con who became a turncoat cop?_

"Bogo's speech wasn't too long, considering what you've sacrificed for the city. His words were kind. He never got to know you well. Nobody really got to know you too well, Nick. Not even me..." Judy slowed her talking as she went on. Her eyes wandered off his and his sad smirk grew even more. "But you meant so much to all of us."

"I know, Carrots," He said quietly, moving his paw onto the vision, right on her cheek in a vain attempt to comfort her. "I'm so sorry I've put all you through this..."

"Finnick was there," Judy resumed, her eyes trailing back to his. The grip on his paw tightened ever so slightly and Nick could feel his real body flexing, urging to break free of its bonds. He snickered, remembering his quick-to-violence friend he had known for his entire life. Judy wasn't the only mammal he had missed. Finnick and Voltaire would be mad that he hadn't joined them for their weekly drink for the past two years. Clawhauser would probably cry when he saw him again - what a pushover! But he was a friend none the less. He had missed them all so much. He had even almost missed Prophit.

"He arrived after the others had left. I was sitting right under your photo-" She paused for a moment, her eyes filled with despair. "-crying, and I felt this paw on my back. When I turned, he was there. Sunglasses and all," She sniffed, her eyes becoming glossed. "It was cloudy, so he must've worn them to hide his feelings. Sounds like another fox I know."

Nick's eyes began to glaze. He had meant so much to all these mammals yet he had put them through all this suffering, through all this pain, through all this loss. He was an officer of the law but some of his antics, as well as his not-so-clean past, had offended and hurt many mammals from many branches of life. Normally he wouldn't care about other's feelings a whole lot but this time it was different. It was his legacy. In the end, he had been a jerk to so many...

Judy's paw squeezed his even tighter and she leaned in. Their mouths weren't an inch apart. A low growl came from savage Nick but they were too preoccupied with one another to care.

"I'm just..." She said, cutting short as she choked up for words.

"I'm just so glad to see you again, Nick."

Their pawhold broke and was replaced by a tight hug. Nick couldn't hear his savage self growl - his feelings of heartache prevented any of his senses from working properly. He needed to comfort his Carrots, to tell her he was sorry for everything he caused, to tell her that she was just an emotional bunny and he was just a dumb fox. He needed to be by her side again, to be her partner again...

Even though he didn't realize it, the flower of love began to blossom in his heart.

Judy pulled away from their embrace, her eyes ever so slightly red from the few tears she could muster. At the sight it was Nick's turn to release a few silent tears of his own. Judy moved her arm across her face to wipe her nose and their paws becoming clasped again. She shared the sadness in her eyes with his savage self's stern ones.

Nick stared back, his body straight and eyes damp. His uniform hung a little heavier off him as the last of his tears dried on his cheeks. He had missed her so much - but his feelings of loss weren't half as powerful as hers were. No matter the sadness they both felt before or the years which had flown by since their last meeting, they both were still the best of friends.

A huge shape by the door drew Nick's attention away from his partner. It was Chief Bogo. His arms were crossed and his eyes were full of some unidentifiable emotion. Nick was too weakened from his sobs to salute again - he instead held the huge mammals gaze as he collapsed onto his knees.

"Hopps, time's up," The chief said, his eyes moving off the now snarling Nick and onto her back. With one last squeeze of his paw she turned and walked slowly out the door without looking back, her ears limp. Bogo's gaze followed her before he turned, and for a brief moment he and Nick locked eyes. A small smirk found it's way onto his face.

"It's good to have you back, Wilde," He said with a twinge of elation. With that his positive tone and expression was gone. He left the room with a stone cold face, his voice barking in the other room.

"Get him ready to disembark!"

Nick knelt in the darkness, a humble feeling washing over him as he watched his savage self growl and thrash against his restraints while officers brought a huge cage into the room. He was still here. He wasn't gone forever. Hope flared inside of his bony chest. Soon everything would be back to normal. He would be back to his old job, fighting criminals with his carrots.

He stood up, suddenly rejuvenated. The sadness was gone from him - he could've hurt Judy, he understood that. In fact, he had hurt Judy. He had hurt her because he had died without her permission. That was kind of funny now that he thought about it. But she had forgiven him, and once he received the night howler antidote they would be together again. He took a final deep breath as violent barks erupted from the now unrestrained mouth of his savage self.

Once you reach the bottom, the only way you can go is up.

* * *

 **F*** This took a while! Hope you liked it! All other projects are on hold until this story has reached it's conclusion!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 4 - July 22nd

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited 8-23**


	5. Chapter Four - Transition

**Every time I post a new chapter, the story statistics just go off the charts - and you know what that means! More thanks.**

 **So here I go again. Thanks to everyone who has stayed with us over this story - I hope this kind of support will continue in times to come!**

 **After the support from Chapter Three, I felt that I had to give you all something quickly. Something evocative...**

 **Without too much more chatter, here's the next chapter to Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

Arctic One wasn't exactly a luxury hotel and neither was his 'cell' on the boat but compared with both of those the darkened, secluded cell he was in now was heaven. Or as close to it he could get for the time being. This place still wasn't a thousandth as nice as his warehouse but it would do well enough as long as he remained savage. Maybe it was his attitudes which had put a positive spin on his surroundings. It had been one- no, two... possibly three days since his talk with Judy on the boat.

Since then his mind had been at relative ease. The ZPD had sneaked him off the ship in a sealed wooden crate, one of many which were unloaded from the research vessel. Over the noise of his rattling restraints and the harsh lapping of the waves his keen ears had caught some words from a nearby officer.

"Keep it outta sight," the gruff voice had said, "This crate'll be 10-19."

"So what's in it?" a lighter voice replied. Even through the thick wood, Nick heard a hostile growl. The gruff voice responded a little harsher.

"Don't matter. Official police business. Just make sure it gets 10-19."

 _10-19?_ He had thought. Thank gosh Fluff had made him study up on police radio codes. _Return to headquarters._

It would be his first time in- DAMNIT. Everything he would do in now would be his first time he had done it in two years. Those words had to stop coming up in his head! But it was the first time he had been to work in two years. Though he felt that he would only see a very specific part of the workplace. A few rough movements of someone picking up his crate and throwing it down carelessly and he was on his way to the Precinct One Headquarters.

The ride to the Precinct 1 building felt as fast as a bullet speeding toward an unsuspecting victim. Nick was pretty sure his savage self was hopping in and out of consciousness- the entire drive was just a blur of half-heard honks, bright lights projected through a tiny hole in his crate, and the unmistakable smell of gasoline. Sometime during the trip he knew that he passed out. There had been darkness and nothing else.

In what felt like only moments filled with nothing but black the vision returned to normal – all of the joy and sunshine within it still intact. But instead of being in a crate he was instead where he was now. ZPD headquarters – Savage Mammal Cell 1.

The room was about twice the size of Bogo's office; a ridiculously thick glass panel ran through the middle of it and small holes along the bottom of the glass allowed sound and fresh air to pass between the two sides. On the side opposite him was a chair bolted to the center of the floor, the exit on the wall behind it leading to a hallway and other confinement cells. The concrete walls were awfully bland – but that's what you get when you're in custody. The appliances in his cell weren't too advanced either. A tap with an indent in the concrete floor below it, which acted as an indestructible bowl, as well as a small feeding hole in the glass with a metal flap covering it were the only objects in what he would consider to be his kitchen. Any officer on the other side could put food through for him. Besides those necessities, there was also a cot and a toilet stationed right next to each other. He smiled when he first saw those – he didn't think he be needing anything like that as long as he was savage.

The ZPD had built this and another half dozen other cells like it in the months Nick had been at the academy. Although there had been no other cases of predators going savage after the Night Howler Incident some right-wing prey put forward a petition to have the city construct high-security cells should a situation like that ever arise again. Mayor Lionheart, recently pardoned for his unlawful confinement of savage predators and up for reelection, begrudgingly accepted their demands. The election had been close but his mayorship continued, and when Nick returned a hallway previously filled with vacant offices was instead a block of empty cells. Now, because of him, the city's expensive investment hadn't been in vain.

His legs stuck out in front of him while he leaned onto his palms and stared out his savage self's vision. His eyelids were half closed, leading him to believe he was about to pass into the realm of sleep once again. This had been all he had seen for the many previous hours he spent watching. Just the chair on the other side of the bulletproof glass. His mind was absolutely blank. Of course he was bored - which mammal wouldn't be? But the blade of boredom lodged in his head was edged with worry. Not of what he would do to other mammals, but of what other mammals weren't doing to him. On occasion a small trickle of water would refill his water 'bowl' but the department had yet to fed him. The sound of his stomach screaming for something to digest filled his ears endlessly. Thank the heavens he couldn't feel what his savage self was feeling right now.

 _They're trying to starve the secrets out of me!_ He sarcastically thought as he grimaced. _But what they don't realize is that a fox never snaps!_

The night on the gondola flashed into his mind, his message to Judy ringing in his ears. Never let them see that they get to you. Those words were more true now than ever. His smile closed, his teeth held behind his slightly elevated cheeks. The rabbit had seen him with all his safeguards down that night. That had only happened twice since then – both within the last week, and he made himself promise that he would be the only one to ever see himself like that again. It wasn't him. Rabbits were supposed to be the emotional ones, not foxes! He was right here – sarcastic, sly, and forward looking. The past was gone. His memories were just that - memories. But that didn't mean they couldn't haunt him.

A huge bang drew his attention back to what lay before him, which flew open as fast as his own did. In it's dozing his savage self hadn't noticed the entrance of a tiger. Now the predator opposite him stood just beyond the glass, his paw resting on the thick surface. Savage Nick uncurled from his position and stood, his head bent toward the ground as if he were being threatened. His limbs were spread wide in a defensive stance while his wild eyes stared into the tiger's calm ones. Nick observed the lab-coat wearing feline in silence without moving from his relaxing lean.

He assumed it was a tom. It had the jawline of a male, but in today's society it was entirely possible that he was absolutely wrong. Lots had changed in twenty years. The tiger's muzzle was graying and one of his ears had a small split through the top of it. Nick pried his eyes for any information about his character. Most mammal's gaze held their personality within. That was something he had learned over his years on the streets.

The tiger looked tired, but his crystal blue eyes were filled with wisdom and curiosity. As his stare continued, his jaw visibly tightened and his pupils shrunk slightly. Nick winced. _Dread?_ He thought, shaking his head in an attempt to reassure himself.

"No, that's not dread," he said out loud, a grin on his face yet his ears back behind his head and eyes still wide, "Just surprise. I really should've practiced more on my vacation."

The tiger took his paw off the glass and fell into the bolted chair behind him, his back straightened against it. It was only then that the intelligent fox noticed the blatantly obvious pen-and-clipboard resting in his hands. Their eyes were still locked but Savage Nick moved so that he and the feline were face to face. Nick studied the situation for a little longer, mind whirling, until the tiger began to speak.

"Mr. Wilde, I'm not going to bother with pleasantries. I simply must to take some notes on your condition," He said, his thumb moving to click his pen. Nick watched on. _Wow. Not even a name for a little kitty like you?_

The staring between them finally broke as the feline moved his eyes down to his clipboard, his paw making numerous and quick strokes across it. This continued for several strained minutes. Nick looked over the feline again during that time, his mind hard at work to decipher the strange glare he had given him. It had been a dreadful gaze, no matter how he would try to twist it. There had been lots of dreadful glares thrown at him before he joined the ZPD, and even some after. Surely this one was nothing to worry about! But on the side of the tiger's lab coat was a familiar insignia. Nick leaned in, his paws taken off the ground and his legs curling up towards him. In the middle of it was a large red plus. Along the top it read:

 **Zootopia General Hospital**

While along the bottom:

 **Serving prey since 1931**

 _Serving prey since 1931. Predators since 1969,_ He thought bitterly. OK. So he had gotten a strange stare from some doctor? Big deal. He had been to the hospital a few times in his life, usually for nothing serious, and all doctors had that 'You're going to die a horrible death' face after a day of working. Brushing his worry away, Nick looked over the doctor one final time.

There were visible muscles under his patch, and at a closer look they were protruding from all his clothes. But this was normal for all tigers. What wasn't normal was the stiff movements the cat had when moving his head up and down to look over certain parts of his savage self. Whoever this tiger was, he was old. Probably sixty or sixty five. He could never guess the exact age of anyone but he was always pretty close. Judy would be 28 now, and he would be... How old would he be this year? Nick did the math in his head. Rabbits were great at 'multiplying' but nobody could beat a fox at adding! He would be thirty six if he counted the year and a half he had been dead.

"Mr. Wilde, I'm going to perform a test on you in a moment. Whether or not you give your consent doesn't matter."

Nick looked up from the darkness and for the second time today he saw the doctor standing above him, much closer to the glass than before. Nick heard a growl from his savage self, who had moved back several steps from the glass. Nick gave the feline a lazy smile.

"Go ahead, stripes."

The tiger had left his pen and clipboard on the metallic chair. His arms were behind his back, his old gaze flicking up and down his now frightened self, half cowering under the cot.

One moment he was calm. In the next his paws were up against the glass, claws unsheathed, while his head was bent lower towards his savage self. All of his teeth fit together with one another in a picture-perfect snarl. Nick's smile continued. The sudden move hadn't scared him, but the vision shifted dramatically as his savage self stumbled and crawled under the cot. His head was the only part of his body protruding from the hanging bed and his savage self released a scared snarl from it's wide open mouth.

The doctor sheathed his claws and turned back to the chair. Nick watched as he scribbled some final notes onto the clipboard and made his way to the door.

"What's my diagnosis, Doctor Purr?" He called out as the feline stood in front of the doorway, still looking down. "Besides high blood pressure."

The feline stopped scribbling and stared at the savage beast beyond the glass one last time. His paw gripped the door handle tightly, and Nick could see the tensity in his jaw as it clenched once again. Nick locked eyes with the feline the moment before he stepped out into the hallway.

There it was. No matter how much he denied it, it was still there. The doctor's eyes were swimming in it.

 _Dread._

* * *

"Well if it's any consolation, your friend isn't savage."

Judy's already huge gaze widened. What did the doctor mean Nick wasn't savage? She had forgiven him because he had attacked her. While he was at the academy she was working her butt off back at headquarters. Someone had to finish all the paperwork which came out of the Night Howler Incident. She knew what a savage mammal looked like, and Nick was savage!

"He's not savage?" she exclaimed. She shook her head back and forth and raised her paw. "Then what do you think is wrong with him?"

Doctor Zdanskyi had clearly expected this reaction. He remained calm and collected, even as her outraged gaze burned into him.

"Your friend is not savage Ms. Hopps," He said as he moved into the center of the hallway, both his paws gripping his undersized clipboard tightly. "If you only look at his aggressive behavior then he may seem savage, but to my trained eye the-"

"I'll ask again. What's wrong with my partner, doctor?" Judy interrupted, her foot _thumpthumpthumping_ the ground endlessly. The doctor continued to contain himself.

"I will discuss that when the chief arrives," He finished.

Judy didn't ease her defiant gaze. She rejected the doctor's diagnosis. Not rejected - she didn't even consider it! She knew what a savage mammal acted like. For turnip's sake, she was the one who had found all of the missing mammals restrained by Mayor Lionheart! All Nick needed was the antidote. Once the doctor realized that they'd be solving cases in no time –just the two of them making Zootopia safe again. Nick was her best friend, and he'd trust her to make the right calls if he was unable to. He just needed the antidote.

As if on cue Chief Bogo stormed through the huge doorway at the end of the hallway. He snorted as he slid his access card to seal it behind him. Something had clearly ticked him off. His normally stoic hoofsteps fell heavy, weighted by some unknown anger. He rubbed his eyes with his hoof as he approached Judy and Zdanskyi.

"Well, Doctor, I could use some good news today," he said as his eyes met Zdanskyi's, "What's wrong with Wilde? Savagery?"

The doctor shook his head.

"No, Bogo. Not savagery."

Chief Bogo's eyes widened at this, his hands tightening around each other as they hung behind him.

"Not. Savage?" He repeated shocked. Judy watched a surprised expression grow on his face and raised her paw again, outraged words spilling out of her before her years of police discipline could stop them.

"Chief Bogo, Doctor Zdanskyi may be one of Zootopia's finest medical professionals but Officer Wilde shows all the symptoms of being savage. Even the youngest kit in Bunnyburrow coul-"

"Shut your mouth, Hopps!" Chief Bogo shouted, startling and silencing her.

"So if not savagery then what, Zdanskyi?"

The doctor's gaze moved back to Judy.

"You said that when you found him he appeared to be deceased?"

Judy nodded, her jaw clamped shut so she couldn't say anything else she might regret.

"And that he seemed to be stalking you before you tranquilized him?"

She nodded.

"And that once he was restrained he let you touch him without attacking you?"

She nodded. Doctor Zdanskyi sighed and briefly skimmed his clipboard before his gaze quickly flicked between her and Chief Bogo.

"Are either of you familiar with Trunklin's lost expedition?"

Judy nodded, catching Chief Bogo doing the same out of the corner of her eye. Most educated mammals in Zootopia knew about the ill-fated expedition of the explorer.

"What does that tragedy have to do with Wilde's condition?" The chief asked.

"We all heard the end of the story when we were at school. Trunklin was the only survivor of the stranding and when the rescue crew finally found him he was completely out of his mind," Zdanskyi summarized, his finger tapping on his clipboard. "But what our textbooks didn't tell us are the details of his insanity. And because of my contract with the city I'm not at liberty to tell you either."

Zdanskyi gave a big huff, his gaze finally resting on Judy. His blue eyes failed to calm the churning emotions built up within her amethysts.

"If I were you, I'd look into the city's records. Whatever Trunklin's syndrome was is what's affecting your partner now."

Silence overtook the group as the doctor finished. Chief Bogo sighed, staring down the hallway past him.

"Thank you, Doctor," He said, placing his hoof on his shoulder. "You can leave us now. I'll join you outside in a moment."

Zdanskyi nodded and walked between them, his tail lingering for a moment longer before disappearing. Judy's eyes turned up to Chief Bogo but he was still deep in thought, a frustrated expression on his face. She kept her solemnly organized gaze as she finally began to process the doctor's words.

"First Lionheart's slip up and now this?" Chief Bogo exclaimed suddenly, his hoof reaching up to massage his eyes. "Whenever that damned predator messes up I'm the one who always gets the backlash."

His hoof came down and hung at his side, his huge eyes analyzing the straightened officer before him.

"Our beloved mayor has irreversibly complicated this whole situation by acknowledging that Officer Wilde had a funeral yesterday."

Judy's clenched mouth dropped slightly so that a strip of white from her front teeth could be seen. The mayor told the press that Nick was _dead_? What had he been thinking? Bogo frowned as she became visibly furious, the anger which had been welling up inside of her beginning to spill out.

"Officer Hopps, I'm just as irritated as you, but Mayor Lionheart ha-"

"Tell me, Chief, did he know that Wilde was still alive or was he just being absolutely careless?" Judy demanded. Her fuse was about as short as her tail today.

Chief Bogo growled but Judy remained stubborn, her ears straight up in defiance.

"He was well informed of the situation, Hopps. And stop interrupting your superior or your badge will be on the line!"

Judy shut her mouth for good measure. Chief Bogo was short tempered but if her domineering attitude continued for any longer she was pretty sure the materials inside him would ignite.

"Now then, if I am able to speak," He spat, "Mayor Lionheart knew that Wilde was alive but he kept the public in the dark so we wouldn't have to deal with a repeat of the Howler Riots."

Judy remembered the riots he spoke of and suppressed a shiver. In reality they weren't riots but violent protests led by a group called the 'National Assembly for Zootopia's Isolation'. Essentially they were a huge speciesist cult, but even they had the right to peacefully assemble. What they DIDN'T have the right to do was assault every predator who happened to come within a three block radius of their march! Thankfully she didn't get to see any of the violence – regardless of her recent accomplishes during the Night Howler Incident she had only been an officer for a week and a half when the three day long nightmare began. She was instead back at headquarters, trying to keep the press from storming the building.

"At the time the best call I could make was to call Nick a savage mammal. And because half of the mammals in Zootopia still don't support him as mayor, Lionheart thought it would be best if the spotlight was turned away from Wilde. For good."

The Chief turned and began to walk away from Judy.

"So with Wilde's lack of savagery those of us who know of his condition will be in a compromising position if we don't keep this under check. I don't have the time or the resources to continue to manage the ZPD, keep knowledge of his existence under wraps, AND begin his 'healing process'. That last one is up to you, Hopps."

Bogo swiped his access card and opened the bulletproof door ever so slightly, beginning to walk through. His head disappeared for a brief moment before reappearing. He looked back at Judy and her perked ears caught a small sigh come off him.

"I know this whole situation is difficult but I'll sort out the mayor. This ordeal will run very efficiently if we both do our part," He said, his words not laced with annoyance or any other emotion, for that matter. "Wilde isn't savage, whether we like it or not. I've worked with Zdanskyi for nearly my entire career and he's the best when it comes to strange cases like your partner's. I'd take his advice. Go down to the National Library on 8th and 14th and pick up a copy of Trunklin's medical evaluation. Take the rest of the day off – go read it over some carrot juice or something."

Judy managed a small nod. Nick wasn't savage. They couldn't just apply the antidote and be done with this whole complication. This would be quite the journey for them both, whether they knew it or not.

Judy pried Bogo's eyes for something, anything, as he put an end to their conversation and turned to look back out the door. While she had rubbed off on Nick a fair amount he had attempted to grind some of his abilities into her. The only one she succeeded at mastering was the reading of other mammal's gazes. Some of the other skills he taught her felt wrong to use. At her heart she was still a young, polite, and caring mammal.

Through her inference of his large eyes Chief Bogo was still that at heart as well. He reflected some deep feeling of worry with such intensity Judy hadn't even thought about associating with him. Maybe there was a feeling, emotional mammal underneath all of his thick skin. But Judy didn't dwell on the thought too long – he disappeared the same moment she had seen his expression. The door slammed shut and she was alone.

She didn't realize she was leaning against the cell door until the cool touch of metal flowed down her back. Just beyond the six inches of steel was her partner. He was no longer her savage friend but instead her naked friend, the thought making her shiver in amusement and a small smile cracking onto her face. She predicted there would be more than one awkward moment between the two of them within the weeks to come. But she had to help him get better. Yes, It would be a far more difficult path since he wasn't savage, but she was ready. Her mind rose to the challenge. But first she needed that report. Her paw gently tapped against the door before she followed her boss's path out the door.

She had Nick Wilde. Now she had to turn him back into the sly and cunning vulpine she had come to know.

* * *

Judy was on the verge of collapse. Not out of a slight feeling of fatigue but out of absolute exhaustion. Her legs ached from all the standing, her ears hurt for being perked too long, and her feet felt utterly skinless. For the past 6- no, 7 hours she had been on the longest wild goose chase any rabbit from the Triburrow Area had ever been on. She had taken the Chief's advice and went to the National Library where the very helpful front desk zebra told her that Trunklin's record was being kept at a different branch all the way in Tundratown! She only had a few dollars with her at the time so taking a bus or the metro was out of the question. In the end she had walked halfway across the city only to be told that the document was actually in a storage locker back in Sahara Square! She had been furious but let out all her frustration through harsh glares and the thumping of her foot.

She left the station at 1500 but received the antique at 2200! An entire day wasted! Although it was all to help her partner.

A vibration began in her pocket, making her aware of where she was. Her paw reached down and pulled out her phone which showed a picture of her parents smiling. Judy exasperated. Of all the times her parents had to call, they had to do it now? Though If she refused their call then they would immediately call back and pound her with questions. She didn't feel like being interrogated, so her finger reluctantly hit the accept button.

"Hey guys!" Judy greeted, her voice overly joyful to cover her annoyance.

"Hey, Jude the Dude! How're you holding up?" A familiar voice eagerly responded. She noted the rabbit on the other end was lacking his usual female counterpart.

"Doing well, Dad. Where's Mom?"

"Oh, she's over helping the Longears. They just had their first litter, you know. 22 Kits!" There was silence for a moment before he continued, "So, why no video today, honey? That business trip take it out of you?"

She smiled, her face illuminated by the ugly yellow emanating from the slowly passing streetlights.

"You don't know the half of it."

There was a pause on the other line.

"Honey," Stu began, his words slow and cautious, "I heard about the funeral."

Judy continued walking down the pavement, her suppressed annoyance beginning to nudge itself back into prominence. She had told her parents that Nick would have a funeral once she returned, and they had been very supportive during their last MuzzleTime. But now that Nick wasn't gone and that idiotic lion at city hall had essentially obliterated his existence all she could do was nod along.

"Jude, you know me and your mother are always here for you. Maybe you need to talk about it. Tell me about the funeral, sweetie."

"It was short," She responded, her smile replaced with vexation. Even though she tried to prevent it her voice became harsh, "and very touching."

"Judy, what's wrong? Did something happen to you at the ceremony?" Her father asked worried. He had clearly picked up on the sudden change of tone.

"No! Don't worry Dad," She replied a little happier, a quick lie coming to her mind to explain her bitterness. To her right was a puddle of stagnant water in a gutter. "Some maniac driver nearly splashed me."

"Oh, you're not home? Where are you going so late?" Her father inquired.

Judy pondered on the question, observing her surroundings. In their attempt at taking her home her feet had taken her through one of the most suspicious streets in Sahara Square. The decaying buildings around her and the eerily empty road made her wish she had taken another route. But this was the fastest way back to her apartment.

But did she want to go back to her apartment right now? It was nearly 22:30, which meant it would be time for the nightly 'Onyx-Antlerson Battle of Words'. She couldn't concentrate on anything when those two were shouting at each other. The paper thin walls let her listen to any sound which came out of the populated apartment building.

Anyways, her neighbors were the most distracting mammals anyone would ever meet. Right now her apartment wouldn't be the most appropriate place for reading a document with as much importance as the one she held. Maybe she should take Bogo's advice and read it over a drink. Her eyes peeled the street ahead for any such establishments, and in the distance, past all the grotty 2-story apartments and disused shop windows, a flashing red neon sign caught her attention. She couldn't read the bar's name from so far away. Regardless, that's where she was going.

"I'm just going out for a drink," She responded, her voice sounding tired in an attempt to bring the conversation to an end. "I had a long day at work."

"Ok, honey. You sound pretty worn out - but that's what you get when you're the best police officer in Zootopia!" A smile came back onto her face. "Now you call me back if you find a nice buck, Jude the dude."

"Ok _Stu the dude_ , I will." A chuckle came across from the other line, and Judy pulled the phone down from her ear, her finger hovering above the end call button.

"Judy," she faintly heard and she moved her phone up to her ear again. _He does love to talk, doesn't he?_

"Me and your mother are always here for you, if you ever need to talk. Us burrow-bunnies need to look out for one another."

Judy held in a sigh.

"I know dad," She responded sincerely.

There was a moment of silence between the two. The conversation was finally ending.

"Well you have a great night, Judy," Stu said.

"You too dad! Love you!" She responded with as much happiness as she could.

She slid her phone into her pocket and let loose an annoyed scowl.

 _That idiot Lionheart! I can't believe I voted for him last election._ She thought fiercely. If he hadn't been elected then Nick would still have a chance to exist and she wouldn't have to deal with her parents' comforting. But as her rage continued Bogo's explanation entered her mind. N _o, it wasn't the mayor's fault. He was trying to protect the city in his own way. Just like I do._

She sighed and her ears flopped onto her back. She didn't want to talk about Nick with anyone else. All they would say would be 'I'm so sorry for you're loss' and 'How are you feeling this' and 'How are you feeling that' - all those typical sayings which had comforted her before but now would just get on her nerve. Her parents were no different. To them, and to the world, her partner was dead and she was some bunny who never got over his death. Only she and a few others could openly talk about him, but even that would be about his "savagery" and not about him as a mammal and partner.

Her feet stopped as the yellow light surrounding her turned to red. She looked up at the bright neon sign above her, ironically labeled The Fox's Den. This was her stop. She had never been into a predator's bar before alone before. Nick had forced her to accompany him to a few on several occasions, all of which were probably a thousand times as nice as the place she was at now. Her paw tightened around the poster-holding tube which contained Trunklin's document.

Well, here goes nothing. She thought, her free paw pushing open the fox-sized door. It closed with a loud bang, the joints of the door pulling it back as fast as a speeding car. She was now the lone rabbit in The Fox's Den.

* * *

 **Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Come back soon!** **All other projects are on hold until this story has reached it's conclusion!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 5 - August 1st

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited 8-24**


	6. Chapter Five - Encounter

**Bloody heck- Thanks for all the support. Now hurry up and read the story.**

 **This one is the longest chapter yet - 6k words! Wow! I know that chapter 4 was a bit 'lackluster' at best, but some chapters need to be a bit boring so that others can grasp one's attention. This is one of those chapters.**

 **Hope you enjoy Chapter 5 to Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

 **And before I go, huge thanks to Anon for drawing the cover art. It's a bit hard to see, so the full image can be found at:**

veryeagerperson [period] imgur [period] com /all/

 **Sorry about the strange formatting, just replace [period] with . and delete all spaces. Stupid Fanfiction . net! Stop removing my links!**

* * *

The whole room had an almost erotically scarlet glow to it. Booths lined one wall and a counter with stools on the other, hundreds of bottles of alcohol behind it. Despite it's sleazy external appearance, the bar's interior seemed very well kept. There were no half-passed out mammals hanging off the seats, no scantily dressed waitress trying to pick up an extra tip, and no disgusting smell of old vomit making it's home in the floorboard's cracks. The entire place seemed almost welcoming.

Judy walked past the empty booths, light jazz music entering her standing-at-attention ears. This would be a good place to read the document. There were no patrons or employees to be seen, but Judy did hear some excited laughs coming from a closed curtain leading to another room by the end of the booths. She could imagine what was going on back there.

She hopped up onto one of the many empty stools, her paw carefully putting the container, with document inside, on the barren counter. She automatically moved herself into a sitting position, and for once felt comfortable in the public chair. Her shoulders were on height with the counter, her head easily able to look over the surface in front of her. Most public chairs required her to stand to be comfortable, so this was an especially rare occurrence. It almost made her feel like she was back at Bunnyburrow.

The only other positive difference between this place and home was the blissful sound of music instead of the endless screams and chatter of her younger siblings. There wasn't even this kind of peaceful silence in her own apartment - her neighbors saw to that. The music was the perfect volume, enough to be enjoyed yet not loud enough to damage her acute ears, but the room still lacked some other source of sound. Other mammals.

Her paw eagerly tapped the darkened wood in front of her, waiting for a server to come and take her order. After several more still moments she shifted.

"Hello?" She called out, her head flicking up and down the counter. "Is anyone here?"

The sound of a chair being hastily pushed echoed out from an open doorway past the end of the counter. Judy looked toward it, her ears homing in on the sound of rushed paw steps. A moment later a fox dressed in a flawlessly stereotypical bartender's outfit came out into the main room, almost frantically searching for the source of the outburst.

"Hi!" Judy shouted cheerfully, raising out of her seat a little to wave her paw in the air. The fox's eyes rested on her, showing surprise for half a moment before his previously perky ears folded behind his head. His stiff movements and gaze slowly becoming squinted convinced Judy that the vulpine was weary around non-predatory patrons. This was a predator's bar.

 _I might be his first rabbit customer._ That thought excited her. _Another first for Judy Hopps!_

"What can I do for you, miss?" The fox inquired, his arms holding him up as he leaned over the counter.

"I'd like to purchase an alcoholic beverage," she responded nonchalantly. Nick had taught her that all foxes were suspicious whenever they met someone new. He was an exception due to his previous 'occupation' but the majority of his species followed that rule.

"The best way to a fox's trust is to break the tension," He had told her one day as he sat sipping his morning joe in the passenger's seat. "Act like you're on their side, tell a joke once in awhile. Heck, sometimes being a smart ass works," His sunglassed gaze turned toward her. "Just look at who I'm friends with now!"

The bartender relaxed somewhat, his arms becoming slightly bent and dirty emerald gaze not in as much as a frown as it had been a moment prior.

"Well then what can I get for you?" He asked politely, bending down and picking up a fox-sized glass from underneath the counter and plopping it down in front of her. Judy gazed over the wall of different bottles behind him, but none of their names looked familiar. Her mouth hung open as their gazes met.

"What would you recommend?" She asked. Without hesitation he spun and picked a jug from the wall before he placed it next to the now tiny looking glass.

"Pred's Apple Ale," He began, running his paw up the side of it. "The stuff's strong, but it's cheap and tastes pretty dang good compared with some other local brews."

Judy nodded. Nick used to drink this whenever they would go out after a hard day on the beat. It wasn't that alcoholic for a beer - the only time she had seen him really hammered off the stuff was at Bogo's welcome back party a few years back and she knew what had happened then. But that fateful night he had drunk a six pack of the drink. Surely one wouldn't hurt her.

"I'll take it."

The bartender popped off the lid and filled the glass to the brim with the yellow liquid, turned into a light pink by the colored lights, and slid it toward her. She caught it with both her paws and downed a portion. It burned at first but as more of it entered her system the taste became a satisfyingly crisp delight. Her glass fell back to the table and her thirst abandoned her through a joyful ahh. She looked at the glass, noting its contents had barely been dented. She wouldn't be needing a refill for quite some time.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the well-dressed bartender wiping a glass with a cloth by the door he had entered from, still behind the counter in case she needed him. His attention was drawn away from her, his eyes surveying the restaurant with careful attention.

Her paws rubbed together and she exhaled briefly and loudly. Time for work. As careful as her paws could be she lifted the cap off of the tube and she gently pulled the nearly century and a half old document from it. It's dated yellow fade and pitch black typewriter print only made her more cautious as she laid it out in front of her. She began to read the page, her mind taking the report in word by word.

 _THIS DOCUMENT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE ZOOTOPIAN HALL OF RECORDS ON 18 MAY , 1844_

 _TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN ,_

 _THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO INFORM THE READER OF THE CONDITION OF THE LATE JOHN O. TRUNKLIN , THE LONE SURVIVOR OF THE ZCS PACHYDERM TRAGEDY AND WHO PASSED AWAY ON THE 2 JANUARY , 1843 . THIS DOCUMENT WAS WRITTEN BY HIS DOCTOR AND MONITOR OF THIRTY YEARS MICHEAL Y. ELANDREW . IT SHALL ALSO BE NOTED THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE READ BY THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH MR. TRUNKLIN OR HIS LINEAGE , WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ZCC AND ZPD._

Judy nodded. She wasn't one to violate rules and regulations, and that did include the one this ancient document laid out to her.

 _MR. TRUNKLIN DEPARTED ZOOTOPIA ON THE 17TH JUNE , 1812 ABOARD THE ZCS PACHYDERM AT THE RANK OF FIRST MATE WITH 128 OTHER CREWMEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAPPING THE NORTHERN LEMMINGMAN ARCHIPELAGO . THE VESSEL WAS SCHEDULED TO RETURN OCTOBER THE SAME YEAR IN ORDER TO AVOID THE WINTER ICE SHEETS . BY THE END OF NOVEMBER THE ZCS PACHYDERM HAD YET TO RETURN AND THE SHIP WAS CONSIDERED MISSING BY THE CITY . THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE ZCS HUNT SAILED FROM ZOOTOPIA IN LATE MAY WITH THE PURPOSE OF FINDING THE PACHYDERM . BY MID-JULY CAPTAIN BOVID OF THE HUNT HAD LOCATED THE WRECK OF THE PACHYDERM ON CAPELIN ISLAND . UPON INSPECTION THE BEACHED SHIP HAD SEVERAL LONG CRACKS ALONG THE SIDES OF IT'S HULL FROM THE PRESSURE OF ICE FLOW . MR. TRUNKLIN WAS FOUND IN A COMA INSIDE THE BRIDGE OF THE SHIP . THE CREW INCORRECTLY INTERPRETED HIM AS BEING DECEASED . THE HUNT DEPARTED FROM THE WRECK OF THE PACHYDERM AFTER A PROPER BURIAL FOR ALL OF THE LOWER-RANKED SAILORS . THE REMAINS OF MR. TRUNKLIN AS WELL AS HIS SUPERIOR OFFICER WERE TAKEN BY THE HUNT TO BE GIVEN A PROPER GRAVE . ON AUGUST 2ND MR. TRUNKLIN 'ROSE FROM THE DEAD' AND BEGAN TO ACT OUT IN ANGER AGAINST THE CREW OF THE HUNT . HE WAS RESTRAINED AFTER A MULTIPLE HOUR LONG STRUGGLE AND WAS TAKEN TO GREEN'S HILL HOSPITAL FOR NON-PREDATORY ANIMALS ONCE THE ZCS HUNT RETURNED . UPON MONITORING MR. TRUNKLIN FOR 29 AND A HALF YEARS, I, DOCTOR Y. ELANDREW , HAVE DETERMINED THAT DURING HIS TIME AT GREEN'S HILL MR. TRUNKLIN SUFFERED FROM A PRIMAL MINDSET ._

Judy read the final sentence again, her paws pulling her glass of ale toward her. Primal Mindset? She took a sip, careful not to spill anything on the document. Does he mean savage? A 'primal mindset' almost sounds like savagery.

 _WHEN A MAMMAL IS PUT UNDER SEVERE MENTAL A/O PHYSICAL PRESSURE IN AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT AND IS ON THE VERGE OF DEATH THEIR BODY AND MIND ENTERS A 'SHUT-DOWN' STATE . WHEN THEY REAWAKEN THEY ARE SOLELY FOCUSED ON SURVIVAL . WHILE SEVERAL OF MY COUNTERPARTS DIAGNOSE MR. TRUNKLIN WITH SAVAGERY THIS IS NOT A COMPLETELY ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF HIS CONDITION . SAVAGERY IS THE PRIMAL URGE TO HUNT OR INFLICT HARM ON OTHERS . MR. TRUNKLIN DID INJURE SEVERAL MAMMALS OVER HIS TIME AT GREEN'S HILL , MYSELF INCLUDED , HOWEVER THAT WAS ONLY WHEN THOSE MAMMALS MADE UNWANTED OR THREATENING ADVANCES TOWARDS HIM . THIS DEFENSIVE DEMEANOR MR. TRUNKLIN EXHIBITED DOES NOT RESEMBLE SAVAGERY BUT INSTEAD A PRIMAL MINDSET . A PRIMAL MINDSET DOES INCLUDE SAVAGERY AS A PART OF ITSELF , BUT INSTEAD OF THE MIND BEING FOCUSED ON INFLICTING HARM ONTO OTHERS IT IS FOCUSED ON THE CONTINUED SURVIVAL OF ITSELF . ONE WHO SUFFERS FROM A PRIMAL MINDSET ACTS UN-EVOLVED AND WILL ATTACK MAMMALS WHO MAKE THEM FEEL THREATENED . WHILE MR. TRUNKLIN IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF A PRIMAL MINDSET , ANY PREDATORS WHO SUCCUMB TO THIS WILL MOST LIKELY ATTEMPT TO HUNT THOSE WHO THEY CONSIDER PREY . AS SUCH ANY MAMMAL AFFLICTED WITH A PRIMAL MINDSET , WITH SPECIAL REGARDS TO PREDATORS , SHOULD BE KEPT IN CONFINEMENT TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF ZOOTOPIA FROM THEIR PRIMAL INSTINCTS ._

 _MR. TRUNKLIN NEVER IMPROVED HIS HEALTH OVER HIS THIRTY YEARS AT GREEN'S HILL . HIS WEIGHT REMAINED VERY LOW YET HEALTHY FOR AN ELEPHANT OF HIS STATURE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS FED PROFUSELY EVERY DAY . THIS MAY HAVE TO DO WITH HIS PRIMAL MINDSET ; IT IS NATURAL FOR AN UN-EVOLVED MAMMAL TO CONSUME LARGER AMOUNTS OF FOOD THAN AN EVOLVED MAMMAL . WHY HIS PRIMAL MINDSET NEVER SUBSIDED OVER TIME MAY BE MY EMPLOYER'S FAULT . AS A RULE , NO FAMILY MEMBERS MAY VISIT MAMMALS KEPT IN THE LONG-TERM MONITORING WING . MR. TRUNKLIN NEVER RECEIVED ANY CONTACT FROM OUTSIDE THE BARS OF HIS ROOM FOR THE THIRTY YEARS HE SPENT AT GREEN'S HILL . I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO HIS LIVING RELATIVES FOR THAT . VISITS AND COMFORT FROM LOVED ONES , OR ANY OTHER ACTIONS THAT MAKE A MAMMAL FEEL THAT THEY HAVE SURVIVED MAY BE THE ANSWER TO ENDING A PRIMAL MINDSET . LET IT BE KNOWN THAT ALL PHYSICAL AND METAL EXPERIMENTS PERFORMED ON MR. TRUNKLIN DID NOT RESULT IN THE SUBSIDING OF HIS PRIMAL MINDSET NOR ANY IMPROVEMENT OF HIS CONDITION ._

Judy mouthed 'visits and comfort' before she took another drink. So I have to make Nick feel that he's safe? Kinda cheesy - and that'd be hard enough if he wasn't primal. He's such a depressing fox...

 _IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT MR. TRUNKLIN PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 59 . UPON AUTOPSY HE APPEARED TO HAVE DIED OF HEART FAILURE , SOMETHING UNCOMMON FOR HIS FAMILY . THIS , ALONG WITH HIS YOUNG AGE AT TIME OF DEATH , LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT A PRIMAL INSTINCT NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE BRAIN OF THE MAMMAL BUT THE BODY OF ONE AS WELL . WHILE THIS CANNOT BE CONFIRMED BY MR. TRUNKLIN ALONE , IF IT IS CORRECT THEN ANY MAMMAL AFFLICTED WITH A PRIMAL MINDSET WILL NOT HAVE THE LIFESPAN OF AN EVOLVED MAMMAL BUT THAT OF HIS UN-EVOLVED SELF . THIS HEREIN ENDS THE FINAL REPORT OF MR. TRUNKLIN'S DEATH AND DIAGNOSIS ._

Judy's paw tapped the counter furiously, her eyes flicking to her half-filled drink. Okay. Nick's primal. Not savage, but primal. That means he's in a survival state. All he's thinking about right now is to survive - he's not thinking about me, or Bogo, or anyone else. Just himself. That's nearly back to normal for him, I suppose.

Judy turned to her left, making sure she wasn't drinking right over the document. The taste of the ale was nearly ambrosial to her slightly drunk mind. As the liquid poured down her throat her blurred gaze focused in on the bartender at the end of the counter. His paw was still wiping the glass, his ears perked in her direction. His eyes burned into her head, a luculent frown only inflating the intensity of his idocrases. Judy swiped her gaze away from him and put down her drink. How very rude of him. He shouldn't be casting angry glares at his only patron! Though she was a non-predatory mammal - maybe he was just making sure she wasn't doing anything speciest. If she were caught doing something as disgraceful as that in a place like this, she could only imagine what the middle-aged fox would do to her.

 _Probably give me a huge tab and then kick me out._ She thought, her mind attempting to put herself back on track. _OK, back to the troubles at hand. If I were Nick right now, what would make me feel like I'd survived?_ She paused for a moment, her eyes flicking over to the bartender she couldn't keep out of her head. His prying stare was still cast at her.

"Can I help you?" She said. This distracting stare between them really needed to stop. Her partner was supposed to be the focus of the night.

"You wouldn't happen to be Judy Hopps, would you?" He responded after a moment's pause. Judy's heart rate quickened. _Why does he need to know that?_

"I am."

The bartender broke the stare between them and set down the glass under the counter. He casually walked over to her, his frown gone and replaced by a more respectful sight. His near-transparent shadow blackened the document as he hovered over her like he had done earlier in the evening. Judy watched unintimidated as he snickered.

"Mr. Wilde was my best customer."

Judy's eyes widened and jaw hung. She had not expected that. At least Nick's still the topic of the night!

"You knew Nick?" She said stunned, her body straightened and ears erect.

"Of course I knew Mr. Wilde. Every day after he turned twenty-one he'd come in, sit on the stool you're on now and have a glass of the same drink you're having now."

Judy was still stunned. This fox she had never heard of before had known her own partner nearly three times longer than she had! Why didn't Nick tell me about him? Wait, that's a stupid question. Nick never told me ANYTHING about ANYONE from his hustling years.

"Wow! Every day..." She repeated, her almost awed tone making the bartender chuckle quietly. "You two must've been good friends, Mr...?"

"Voltaire," The bartender said, reaching out his paw and shaking Judy's. "Mr. Voltaire. And friends is a bit of a strong word to describe me and Mr. Wilde's relationship."

"Was he as closed to you as he was to me?" Judy rhetorically asked, a toothy smile coming onto her face. Mr. Voltaire returned a less toothy one.

"You could say that. Our relationship was strictly professional."

"Ahh. So you were a conman."

"Not at all," Mr. Voltaire shook his head slightly. "He'd provide me with fairly large sums of cash and I'd provide him lines of communication with some higher-ups. As well as a place to sleep."

Judy froze. _A place to sleep?_ Nick had always talked about his apartment but she had never visited nor seen the mythical location. All of his city records indicated he lived at 1955 Cypress Grove Lane. But that was where Finnick's van was parked - something she had learned when she returned to Zootopia to finish the Night Howler Case. Finnick called the bridge where she had found her partner 'Nick's Hangout' but she could never imagine such a vain person as himself living in such deplorable conditions.

"A place to sleep?" Judy's voice remained friendly.

"Yeah," Mr. Voltaire's eyes became glossed, pulling up a memory. "Must've been 4 - no, 5 years ago. He saved my tail from some ruffians travelling through here from Todderdam. Well, most of it, anyway."

Mr. Voltaire turned his head and flicked the end of his tail up onto the counter. Judy made a tiny gasp as she saw it's shorter-than normal length.

"To cut off a fox's tail is to cut off his pride," Nick had told her once. "Mine's already perfect, but yours could use some work, Carrots."

"I'm so sorry," Judy said stunned and compassionately, but frowning on the inside. _Who in all of the great green earth was Nick involved with before we met?_

Voltaire's tail swept off the counter and his gaze returned to hers.

"It's no worry. I'm still here, aren't I?" He said with a smile. "I'm indebted to Mr. Wilde for that. As repayment I convinced one of my girls' brothers to sell him some property down by the docks for a real cheap price."

"You mean one of the prostitutes in the back?"

"They prefer the term entertainer. Mr. Wilde went back there quite often," Mr. Voltaire dove more into the subject as the slightest bit of outrage edged it's way onto Judy's face. "Didn't you notice the sign?"

Judy turned and looked at the closed curtain, giggles coming out from behind it. There was a sign hanging over the blue fabric which read _Don't Enter - We're having Wilde Times!_ The cursive font only added to the suggestiveness of it all. _That sly fox!_ She angrily thought. _After work he'd come here and be pleasured by a group of prostitutes? That's just so... dirty!_

"They really liked him. Never any complaints, never any trouble. Mr. Wilde was very respectful with them," Judy nodded at the bartender's words. Her clenched mouth and frowning eyes were met with a mischievous grin.

"They also said he was fairly large for a fox," Mr. Voltaire said with he a flick of the head toward the curtain. Judy's face scrunched up and her arms made a pushing away motion over the counter.

"TMI," She said disgusted. She had no desire to learn about her partner's manhood. Mr. Voltaire's smile remained as he chuckled at her reaction.

"Out of all the mammals who'd want to know that, I would've expected you to be on the top of the list."

"And why would you think that?" She responded in a mock tone of outrage, disgust still lacing it.

"Cause you two had the 'friends with benefits' vibe whenever I saw you on TV," He continued.

Judy stared down his smile with one of her own. On the outside she seemed cool and collected but she could feel her heart's heavy beats and blood rushing to her ears. _First Clawhauser and now this fox?_ She thought displeased. She never liked it when other mammals mocked or exaggerated her and Nick's friendship. They were not dating - inter-species couples were just flat out wrong! And one between a predator and prey? Inconceivable! Some would even say that a mere friendship between the two was a criminal offense. She and Nick had ignored the stares and hushed whispers they witnessed both on and off duty. They were officers of the cityz- they had a duty to protect every mammal, including those biased against them, regardless of their own opinions. And as if she wanted to be anything more than friends with Nick!

True, they spent a lot of time together outside of work but what were they expected to do? They were best friends! Nothing more! She was just some dumb bunny and Nick was her predatory friend. The very same friend she had lost two years ago. The very same friend who she had missed so much yet had miraculously returned to her. The same friend who gave her a shoulder to cry on whenever a day went south. The same friend who was always there, who was witty, caring, well-kept, and had some of the greatest fur sh-

 _WHAT AM I DOING?_ She screamed in her head. _This is NOT the time or place for THIS kind of thinking!_ Trying to shake the embarrassing and somewhat pleasing thoughts out of her head, Judy took a drink from her glass, finding mostly air.

"I'll get you a refill," Mr. Voltaire said, beginning to turn. She stopped him with a downward flick of her paw.

"No, I'm drunk enough as it is," She lied. She didn't feel too hammered but it was getting late and she needed to leave soon if she were to get to work on time tomorrow. _I need ask about Nick's house. Maybe there's something there which can help him._

"You wouldn't happen to know the address of Nick's place, would you?"

"Sorry Ms. Hopps, don't know that," He replied and Judy's ears lowered slightly. "I know it was some old warehouse down by the Dolphlyn Bridge, if that helps any."

It does! The memory of her apologizing to Nick underneath the bridge flashed into her mind as her ears perked again. She remembered a huge brick-and-mortar warehouse behind them as they hugged, smokestacks towering in the distance. That must be the warehouse!

"I don't know how he lives down there," Mr. Voltaire continued, shrugging, "But home's home, I guess. When I get home after surviving another day, It doesn't really matter what my house looks or feels like. As long as it's the same place I woke up in, I'm comfortable."

 _'After surviving another day... As long as it's home, I'm comfortable'._ Judy repeated in her head. As if in an animated cartoon, a light bulb appeared above her head. _That's it! There's no way to know for sure if it'll work, but it's Nick's best hope. Trunklin never felt like he had survived. No, he was cooped up in a cell for thirty years without any contact with the outside world. It's understandable that he didn't get better! Now If I were to not do that, then Nick might get better. I just need to talk to him, make him feel comfortable, and make him feel at home. All the stuff he's going to gag at..._

Judy could see a visit to her partner's home within the near future. What she couldn't see was the burgundy paw waving in front of her face. In her thought process she had become completely oblivious to Mr. Voltaire, who had placed a check on top of Trunklin's document. She smiled awkwardly at him and his amused grin, her eyes darting away and paw quickly reaching down to her uniform's pocket to slap a 10 dollar bill onto the check. He casually picked up the bill with two fingers and walked down the counter, putting the currency in an older cash register with a 'ching' sound. Judy sighed, her paws shaking as she carefully rolled up the document and slid it back into it's tube. The alcohol was beginning to take it's toll - the strength of the liquor as well as it's serving size was meant for foxes, so to her smaller rabbit body it created a terribly great feeling of being half-drunk. Put together with her long and tiring day she was in dire need of rest.

"Have a great evening, Ms. Hopps," Mr. Voltaire said politely as Judy slid off the stool, landing lightly on her feet. "I hope I'll have the pleasure of serving you again."

"You will, Mr. Voltaire," Judy said over her shoulder, "Just probably not on a Thursday."

With that he chuckled and she pushed the door open, the cool night air enveloping her tired body as carefully as sleep's embrace.

* * *

"Needless to say Bogo was less than pleased with the news."

"Well that's completely understandable. Buffalo Butt doesn't exactly react well to bad news, does he?" Nick replied sarcastically as he wore his signature sly smile.

Learning about Zdanskyi's diagnosis and Trunklin's condition had been quite the surprise. Shock still echoed in his thoughts from the revelation only minutes before. A Primal mindset? Who would've thunk! He had been ever-so slightly doubtful of it at first, but as Judy went on to explain what it meant to be 'primal' he saw the very slight differences between the two conditions. He definitely wasn't as aggressive as the other savage mammals he had seen during the Night Howler Incident. No, his savag- primal self was in a defensive stance halfway underneath the cot, his tail curled around his hind legs and ears plastered against the side of his head as if he were afraid of the rabbit on the other side of the glass. At least the only problem he had with his primal self was it was making it difficult for him to hear the her through the vision as he stood in the darkness, paws in his uniform's pockets.

If his primal self was as un-evolved as he and Judy thought, then it had a right to be afraid! Judy had tranquilized his primal self on the ship. For a hunting predator to be defeated by it's quarry was utterly disgraceful! If anything, his primal self probably felt like the rabbit was the predator and _he_ was the prey. _Oh, how the tables have turned._

"Your condition isn't the only problem we have, Nick," Judy said flatly, her eyes almost becoming red with frustration.

"What's got your ears in a knot, Sweetheart?" Nick asked carefully, his smile still full of humor. Judy's eyes flicked around the room before coming to rest on him, all previous anger replaced by deep sympathy.

"A few days ago, right when we docked in Zootopia, Chief Bogo told Mayor Lionheart that you were alive and 'savage but confined'," Judy began, frustration beginning to radiate off her again. "This was before we figured out you were primal, so Lionheart was afraid that announcing a savage predator was back in the city would lead to a repeat of the Howler Riots."

"Smart," Nick said, nodding. He remembered the riots very vividly. The final and most violent night of protest was the same night he left for the academy. It was a beautiful goodbye present for him which made him remember the kindness of the city of Zootopia. Yes, it was always his dream to sneak out of the city at midnight as hordes of angry prey prowled the streets looking for predators to maim. He had never told flatfoot of his troubles exiting the city. Bunnies were far too emotional, and he had no desire to deal with an overly-apologetic one. Judy took a deep breath and Nick raised an eyebrow.

"So, in a press conference, he told reporters that you were laid to rest," Judy almost growled the last words and under a quick, sharp breath Nick heard her mumble 'stupid Lionheart'. Nick's eyes widened, his smile fell, and his ears became limp. If he could guess, he'd say he looked like when Judy threatened to take him to prison for tax evasion all those years ago.

"Laid to rest," He repeated, his gaze held unwavering with Judy's. A paw ran down the side of his face, pulling his jaw down with it. "So this is what it feels like to be dead."

"As if our lives weren't already difficult enough," Judy said, her paws gently tapping her legs as they swung back and forth. "But Bogo's going to sort out that mess. So I'm stuck with making you normal again - but I think that's a pretty tall order considering what I'm dealing with."

Nick gave an empty huff of laughter at her quip, his eyes still wide. He was dead in the eyes of the city. Not just the city - the world! His entire existence only know by a mouse's pawful of mammals - most of whom he barely knew as his co-workers. _At least one of them is Carrots._ And how was she going to cure him exactly? If there was a cure. From the sound of the doctor's final report about Trunklin, Judy was going off a 200-year old untested theory. That was even more ridiculous than inter-species marriage!

But that theory was the best chance at getting out of this mess, whether he liked it or not. _And if Judy thinks it'll work, then she can be my guest to try it out._

"Well, I better head out," Judy said, sighing. "We've probably hit our ten minute mark."

"Yeah, you better get out before Chief Horny gets his horns in a twist," He joked in good humor. The '10 minute rule', as Judy called it, was one of Bogo's new rules which Judy had explained to him at the start of today's meeting. To avoid suspicion from other officers the Chief limited Judy's daily visits to that outrageously short time under the disguise of 'cell inspection', a job recruits were usually assigned to do.

Judy slid off the chair, putting her leather knapsack laying next to her over her shoulder.

 _Huh. Same one I coaxed her to buy right after she tasered me!_

"Oh!" Judy snapped her fingers and her face lit up, "I met Mr. Voltaire yesterday."

Nick was hit with a wave of nervousness. Even after knowing the her for years, he still hadn't revealed much of his personal life to Judy. In fact, he hadn't revealed any of it to her aside from his muzzling in his youth. Looking back on it now, he regretted not telling her about his past after she had been so open to him about hers. But hers didn't include twenty years on the streets or debts and scams with some shady characters. Once he was able to communicate again his past would be hers to question and investigate. Well as long as she's not going through all my stuff, she can be my guest to talk to V. Hell, V wouldn't talk too much about our business dealings with Finnick! There's no way he'd talk about them with Carrots.

"We got to talking and he seems respectable- for a fox!" Judy said, smiling, "Not like you at all! Maybe it's because he lost a bit of his pride."

Nick understood the reference the bunny made and saw where she was going with this.

"Crap," He whispered under a breath.

"I think I'll drop by Casa de Wilde tomorrow," Judy commented, her smile growing.

That can of worms is open. He thought half-bitterly. He wouldn't be the one to tell her all about his past. No, she'd find the key to his past dealings in the warehouse. The best he could do now would be to hope that she overlooked his misdemeanors and continued to be his friend.

At least she won't find out about THAT hustle. Nick reassuringly thought as he watched Judy approach the glass and his primal self back up further underneath the cot.

She placed her paw against the clear surface and sprawled her digits against it. Nick raised his arm and gently put his paw against the vision, right over Judy's paw. Her smile chased most of the doubt and worry out of him. There was more than just the thick glass preventing them from being partners again, but of all the mammals he had ever met, and there were many, Judy was the most qualified to bring him back to the world- even if that meant she had to learn some disturbing parts of his past. He had leaped from the frying pan and dropped straight into the fire, but the sly bunny was standing next to it with a fire extinguisher. Even if when he returned every other mammal thought he was dead, they would still be friends- maybe. If she could look past his hustling years. Nick stared into Judy's magenta eyes with a smile full of love.

At Arctic One there had been very little to cheer him up. Especially after the power and the city-supplied rations ran out. During that lonely time in his life the only joy and hope he could feel came from his memories of her and their time as partners. His heart warmed thinking about her almost loving ambiance and her optimistic-to-a-fault attitude. It began to burn when his thoughts shifted to her gorgeously purple eyes and her stereotypical fluff ball she called a tail. His survival of that frozen hell wasn't because of his own urge to survive but of his urge to survive for their friendship. For their partnership. For her...

 _Jeez, Nick. What're you thinking?_ One side of his mind prompted.

 _I have absolutely no idea._ The other side responded.

 _Well stop it! What happened to "Never let them see that they get to you"? Don't let anyone in too close, Nick! Remember your mother?_

 _Well maybe it's finally time to let someone in after so long..._

 _Yeah? Well maybe you should stop changing before it stops you. Permanently! Don't you dare get those kinds of feelings for a bunny!_

The two sides stopped arguing and Nick had a sudden realization. His closed grin opened up and his gaze became half-lidded. His paw pressed harder against the glass.

"I think I already have," He said quietly.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!** **All other projects are on hold until this story has reached it's conclusion!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 6 - August 12th

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited on August 24.**


	7. Chapter Six - Understanding

**Not every chapter needs to be longer than the last - this chapter right here is about 1300 words shorter than chapter 5. But I can assure you you'll love this one much more than that one.**

 **Yet again, I'd like to thank everyone who was supported this story thus far. You've really helped me continue on.**

 **AS another announcement, it is regrettable that my previous editor ColorUserPro can no longer work on this project, so if you are proficient in the English language and would like to aid me as this project continues then give me a PM!**

 **I think I'll shut up now...**

 **Hope you enjoy chapter 6 of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction!**

* * *

 _Meat is sour. Poisoned. Contaminated._

Whatever word he used, the taste and smell of the fish matched it perfectly. It did not have the scent which would make his mouth water, instead only faintly smelling of the buffalo who had brought it to him.

 _Buffalo._

A small growl emerged from behind a _s_ trip of skin hanging off his teeth. The artificial taste continued to fill his mouth and the foreign scents absorbed by the fish made his nostrils flare. _It cannot stand him._ He swallowed the pasty mouthful with a loud gulp, his tongue protruding in disgust.

 _Buffalo brings bad meat._

His head dove into the meal again, ripping off a huge chunk of flesh. It tasted of nothing. It satisfied nothing. All it did was barely begin to fill his seemingly endless stomach. Yet even as he choked down the final bite he still felt hollow. He trudged over to the water, his paws chilled by the cool concrete, and gazed into the shallow puddle. He was thin - fur thick, eyes tired, and mind uneasy.

 _It must survive._

The buffalo prevented that. The poisoned meat he received would be his death, but it was all the beast would bring. _Starvation or tainted meat_. He chose the latter and there already was a slight aching feeling deep in his chest. A small snarl emerged onto his face.

 _It must survive._

The food wasn't his largest threat. At any moment the tiger could enter his cage, destroying the barrier between them with ease. His huge paws and sharpened teeth would tear him to pieces, his feeble body nothing more than a thoughtless meal. His snarl grew and his eyes began to burn.

 _It must survive._

There was one he feared and hated more than the tiger and buffalo pur together. It was much smaller than both of his other captors, which made his defeat at her paws all the more humiliating. The animal who had hunted him would be the one to end his life. Green fire erupted from his eyes, scorching his reflection.

 _Rabbit._

He had failed as a predator. The hunt had gone astray- it was the accursed rabbit who had not let him end his hunger! And now he was her prisoner. He could not escape from the grey box which contained him. His only hope would be to survive.

 _It must survive._

The thought of the rabbit sitting on the other side of the barrier let loose a growl from the most hateful depths of his form.

 _She watches it._

The sounds the rabbit made echoed in his ears. His growl became much more violent.

 _She mocks it._

The worst thing the rabbit did was smile. His claws dug into the concrete floor.

 _She taunts it._

The rabbit was his warden. He couldn't survive if she was around. He would continue the hunt, however that proved impossible with his fragility and confinement. Only one option would end his torment.

 _It shall wait. The rabbit will one day leave._

He turned toward where she had been standing, her paw pressed against the barrier to mock his repression. His eyes were full of cold fire, his snarl drenched in the purest form of hate, his claws dug painfully into the floor.

 _It must survive._

* * *

"Why you crashin' his place again, bunny?"

A smile grew on Judy's face as she watched Finnick fiddle with a lock pick, his small body hanging off the doorknob several feet above the ground. Why Nick needed such a secure entrance to his warehouse was beyond her.

"The ZPD found his will right before the trip," She began. Finnick's eyes were focused on the lock, filled with interest. "and he left me all of his possessions. So I thought 'Hey, why not drop by and see my new property?'"

A small feeling of uneasiness began to develop inside her. She never liked to lie to any mammal, and what she told Finnick wasn't one hundred percent true. She did have an interest in seeing her new property- _If I can even call it mine_ \- but the main reason for her visit was to collect some of her partners personal items for his rehabilitation.

The sound of a lock clicking entered her erect ears and Finnick fell to the ground a moment after, putting the tool of his trade back into his black and red shirt's pocket before he cracked open the humongous door. His hand gestured for her to walk in. _My my, what a lady's fox!_

"Bummer," Finnick responded as she obliged. "I was really hopin' for some of his loot."

Judy chuckled, her green blouse darkening as her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. She nearly gasped when she began to look around the inside of the warehouse, surprised by it's scale. It was much nicer than what she expected her sly friend to live in.

There was no shattered glass along the floor, no pilled junk in the corners, and no rotten woodwork fallen from the rafters above. The whole place was very well maintained - completely unlike the surrounding buildings. In front of her there was a huge canal-like structure which ran lengthwise in the middle of the room and led to two huge, closed metal doors on the wall to her right. Her nose scrunched up as the smell of the stagnant water which filled the canal began to plague her senses. She turned and looked toward the wall opposite the metal doors, and through the gloom her wide eyes picked out the outlines of furniture.

"Wow!" She exclaimed as Finnick shut the door behind them. "This place is so big! What was it before Nick lived here?"

"Some boatyard," He said, walking past her. She followed in his wake.

"That explains the canal."

"You mean his pool, bunny?"

"His pool," She exclaimed. "He swam in that?"

"You bet," The short fox responded. "Me, him and V turned that cesspit of crap into what you see today."

He took in a huge sniff.

"Pumps smell like they're busted," He whispered.

 _V?_ Judy thought, catching up to Finnick.

"Who's V?" She asked as she walked backwards beside him. Her eyes studied him with interest as his face began to show the tiniest amount of worry.

"Oh, just Voltaire," He responded with a wave of his paw. "He some friend of Nick's who ru-"

"-ns a bar down on 42nd street," Judy interrupted. Finnick looked up at her surprised. "I've met the guy. He's the one who told me where to find this place."

"I was wonderin' where you got that dirt, bunny," He huffed as he looked ahead again, smiling. "Nick didn't tell no one about this place."

 _I know. He didn't tell me anything_. She thought, but deciding this was no place for regretful thoughts she smiled back and turned, walking side by side with him. Her mind wandered, thinking about what she'd discover about her long time friend as she and Finnick continued to cross the seemingly endless warehouse floor. _Maybe I'll find out more about his past. Like a 'real' police officer!_

"So, bunny, you headin' to the sentencing on Tuesday?" Finnick asked, striking up a conversation.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Judy replied, shrugging. "Chief Bogo said I wasn't needed at the trial since I put in so much effort into arresting _him_."

"Well you still got a few days to think about it," He said, eyes still focused on the furniture ahead. "But I thought you would've been 100% sure 'bout goin'. I could jerk off to that brute finally gettin' his punishment after what he did."

Judy scoffed and smiled at the crude comment. While she didn't particularly enjoy inappropriate humor, Nick had used it so often during their partnership that her mind had become accustomed to the occasional vulgar quip.

"You could say I've had other things on my mind," she said with a smile only she understood. _I guess Nick's my own dirty little secret now!_

The canal ended in a half-circle, carved steps leading out of the water so that the structure looked like an amphitheater meant for raccoons. A few feet in front of the steps was an extravagantly huge red-clothed couch facing toward the nearby wall, where an equally extravagant TV was mounted into place. Sitting in the left corner was a massive platform bed, considerably distant from what could be considered the living room. Storage drawers ran along the bottom of it and a dresser stood by its side.

"So this is the house of a 20-year con man?" She rhetorically asked. Her exposed feet were greeted by the soft touch of a woolen carpet as she made made her way to the couch.

"You bet your ass it is," Finnick said, staring up at her dangling feet from in between the black coffee table and the couch. "Listen, bunny. If I gotta smell that stank water anymore my nose is gonna kill itself. You hang tight while I starts up the pumps - then I can give you the grand tour of this pit."

"Whatever you say, Finn." Judy said, swinging her feet directly in front of his face. Finnick flinched back with a stern but lighthearted expression .

"You call me that again, bunny, and I'll bite your _face_ off," He threatened. Judy just grimaced.

"Cops," he mumbled as he shook his head. He began to walk toward a small hatch in the other corner of the room and as soon as he was out of sight Judy collapsed back into the couch with a huge sigh, her eyes still taking in her surroundings. The modern, expensive furniture put her apartment to shame.

"Jeez, Nick," she said out loud to herself. "Who's fur did you have to comb to get such nice stuff."

 _Probably his own._ A voice within her thought. _He did make over a million dollars in his hustling days._

"You're right, brain," She responded, "Maybe we should consider going into his line of work. It'd pay more than that 40 grand police officer salary."

 _Yeah, but then we wouldn't get to make the world a better place!_

"Right again."

Judy straightened and leaned back into the couch, letting the soft fabric support her head as her eyes shut. She was sitting on a couch purchased with untaxed money. It almost felt dirty to take even the slightest amount of comfort in it. Doing so would violate many of her highest morals, but a few days after his training ended Nick assured her that his whole tax evasion situation had been sorted out.

 _"You won't believe me Carrots, but the mayor scribbled out my debt to the city."_

 _"I thought I told you not to lie to me."_

 _"I'm not lying! I'm a changed fox, Cottontail. I thought you understood me."_

 _"This isn't something to joke about, Nick. You could go to jail for the rest of your life for this! That tail of yours wouldn't last a day with some of the mammals I've put in there."_

 _"You mean mammals like Bellwether?"_

 _"Nick-"_

 _"Listen, Judy. I'll get serious for a moment. I met with 'Mayor Mane' a few weeks ago and he thanked me for my assistance in solving the Night Howler case and congratulated me on being the first fox cop and yada yada yada. Boring stuff. But he did show me that same tax sheet you had when you hustled me. And he stamped a big, green check mark on it. Now If that's not 'reliving my debts' then I don't know what is."_

One important question Judy asked herself many times over was did she truly believe her best friend's stories. Some years ago she would've said no. He always stretched the truth in some way, and most of the time that didn't matter a whole lot. But tax evasion was a serious crime, and in his situation it was one with incredibly dangerous consequences. She hadn't been joking - he could've gone to prison for the rest of his life. Yet she had never seen him talking with tax collectors, and whenever she looked through his mail in a PO box at headquarters while he was busy talking with Clawhauser or getting yelled at by Bogo there were no letters from the ZIRS or other agencies.

When it came down to it she was an intellectual rabbit. Stories alone didn't sway her. She had to have evidence, and in this case the evidence supported Nick - so was she ready to believe this somewhat outrageous tale of his so many years after he told her?

"Sure," She said after several silent seconds. "If I can trust him to have my back on duty, then I can trust him to sort out his own past."

 _And speaking of his past..._

Judy slipped her paw into her right pocket and slowly began to feel the object inside. The touch of the plastic-rubber case was very familiar yet the contents held within it were completely foreign. Reluctantly, she pulled the object out and studied it as she held it in both paws.

His phone.

Even when she thought he was dead she could never bring herself to unlock the device. She knew her paws would take her straight to his photos. Back when his death was still fresh in her mind it hurt to see his face. Looking through his photos may have helped her get over his sudden departure, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to get over him, she wanted him back. And now he was back...

As quick as she could, Judy swiped the screen and entered in the password. She ignored the "You have 9999 Unread Messages" notification and searched the screen until she found the photos app. As she looked at the last picture he ever took the same feeling of embarrassment which she had felt as he held her in his arms at Chief Bogo's welcome back ceremony flooded over her.

The picture was a selfie. He stood on the steps leading out of his canal with a sly smile and his signature half-lidded gaze. The illuminated water behind him was a bright blue instead of the dark green that was there now.

 _This picture won't help him get better._ Judy decided, but she couldn't move her paw to swipe to the next picture. _So why can't I keep my eyes off it?_

Her eyes moved down from his face and her ears fell behind her in embarrassment. He definitely wasn't the most athletic mammal on the force, but he sure looked it in this picture. His wet fur was plastered to his muscular frame so that the outlines of his muscles could be seen with the naked eye - something usually very hard to do with thick fur. Yet he pulled it off perfectly. Too perfectly. His shoulders were wide, his chest puffed and powerful, his arms thin and fit. The top of his muscular core invited her downward, and her eyes wandered even lower.

His core was flexed, each muscle of his six pack clearly visible under his hanging fur. _His wondrously cream white and orange fur._ She couldn't help herself; her gaze ventured even further south and she could feel heavy heartbeats pumping blood to her cheeks.

He wore a one-size-too-small Prench[1] swimsuit which left very little to the imagination. It was barely an inch wide around his waist and only slightly wider a little lower. Judy was focused on what she couldn't see, her originally nervous gaze turned into an awed stare.

 _God - it is huge. Or at least looks that way._

The realization of what she was doing hit like a Horn Corporation train.

 _Wait. For carrots sake, what are you thinking, Judy Hopps? You don't have these kinds of thoughts for any mammal, let alone you're best friend! Let alone a fox! You're better than this! Remember all the years of police discipline, all the years of putting emotion behind you when you step into uniform? Hurry up and pull the plug on these lewd thoughts. It's flat out disrespectful, not to mention absolutely gross._

Yet she still couldn't draw her attention away from the photo. Her face burned as her eyes wandered all over it, taking in every pixel of his body. She wanted to bury herself in his thick fur, to curl up against his chest, to have his russet tail sweep around her to seal her in a den of nothing but him. These thoughts weren't driven by sexual needs. No, there was something more to them. It wasn't a drive to be with his body alone - it was a drive to be with him. To be with his sly smile and calculating half-lidded gaze. To be with his casual and carefree attitude. These thoughts aren't lewd, they're loving!

"Ahem," a heavy voice below said, making Judy jump out of her fur. She had been so caught up in her thought process that she failed to notice Finnick standing right in front of her, his giant ears sticking up from between the couch and coffee table. As quickly as she could her paw turned off the phone and slipped it back into her pocket before she hopped off the couch.

"Sorry," Judy said, paws clasped together. "I was just-"

"Oh, I know what you were doing, bunny," Finnick said with a rattled face. "Next time wear more deodorant."

Judy felt all the blood drain from her ears and took in a large sniff as quietly as she could. Even above the overpowering smells of stagnant water and _Love anti scent deodorant_ [2] she could smell herself. Not just herself - her excited self. Any blood remaining in her face fled, nothing except an overwhelming cold feeling remaining. Finnick snorted and turned, and all Judy could do was twitch her eye involuntarily.

 _Those dang hormone suppressant pills said that they'd prevent situations like this!_ She thought as her eyes absently watched Finnick walk away. _The box said 'to stop even the strongest of natural scents and urges'!_

She bolted after Finnick, her ears and face nearly the color of Nick's fur.

"Finnick, I am so sorry! Just let me explain!" She pleaded with a nervous smile as she stood in front of him, holding both her paws out to stop him from walking any further. All he did was look up at her with a disgusted expression.

"No, bunny, I ain't gonna let you explain," He replied. "Cause there's nothin' to explain. You was gettin' turned on by a picture of a dead fox! And don't tell me it wasn't him. I seen how vixens used to look at him, all moony-eyed and flustered."

Finnick pushed past her with a huff and a shake of his head. Judy's ears flopped onto her back and her eyes grew huge as she turned to watch him walk away.

"You disgustin' piece of inter-species mammal screwing trash. Wantin' to bang your dead friend."

Now she was really and truly upset. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Finnick!" She yelled after him. "Please stop!"

He continued to walk away with a defiant stride, not bothering to look back. Her head suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and Judy fell to her knees, paws clasped together. She squeezed her eyes shut in a feeble attempt to stop the steady onslaught of tears beginning to rain down.

"Please, Finnick!" Judy begged him one last time. "I think-"

For the second time in minutes, realization hit her like a Horn Corporation train.

"I think I might love him!"

Both of her paws raised and covered her closed eyes. Even with the added support tears still streamed down her cheeks, pressed deep into her fur by the pressure of her paws. Loud sobs echoed around the warehouse, only pushing her deeper into emotional distress. Never before had she felt this feeling of absolute hopelessness and loneliness. Then she felt the careful touch of velvet against her chin.

Very carefully, as if she were a week-old kit, the velvet object raised her head while another one slowly removed both her paws from her face, ending her tears. After several heavy blinks and deep breaths she could finally see her comforter. Finnick just stood in front of her with a staunch expression, his paw still latched onto hers. Even when she was kneeling he was still a good inch from being on eye level with her.

"Love ain't somethin' you think about, bunny," He said slowly yet full of understanding, his right paw falling from her chin while his left squeezed hers. "It happens in a single thrashing, throbbing moment. It transcends life, death, and whatever's in between. Hell, it may even ignore species lines." He gave a weak smile and his grip tightened around her paw. "Follow me for a sec."

Judy sniffled and stood slowly, her back hunched as she looked down at Finnick. He walked right beside her, letting her set the pace as he continued to hold her paw. With slow steps they made their way to the bed in the corner of the room. It was only when they were very near the black oak piece of furniture that Finnick broke their pawhold and rushed ahead to pull open one of the massive drawers along the bottom. Judy peeked sheepishly over the edge of the wood as the small fox rummaged through Nick's folded clothes.

After several moments of digging his deep voice made a satisfied sound as he pulled a small case out of the top of a expensive looking burgundy tuxedo. He hopped back over the almost wall-sized drawer side a moment later and sat the metallic container on the ground before he eagerly monitored for Judy to come over. She obliged slowly, kneeling next to him as he popped open the worn tin box and took a small piece of paper from it. He held it out between them, the warehouse lights Judy hadn't realized had been turned on illuminating it.

"You know who this is, bunny?" Finnick asked, tilting the image in her direction. Judy studied the picture and found herself staring at an all-too-familiar face.

"Is that his mom?" She answered quietly, her voice still not found. Finnick nodded and smiled, his eyes locked onto the photo.

"This is Ms. Brook H. Wilde, mother of Nick P. Wilde," He said nostalgically. "She's the only mammal in Zootopia who truly loved him."

Judy's suddenly focused eyes moved off the picture and stared at Finnick.

"Every day she got up, made sure her son got a good breakfast, and went to work at her three different jobs. She didn't care about prejudice or what other mammals thought about her, she cared about her son. She cared about his future. So she worked her tail off doin' crap jobs so he wouldn't have to get his paws dirty doin' illegal shit."

Finnick shook his head slowly.

"But in the end, it wasn't enough."

"What happened?" She inquired quietly. She was filled with pity, but she didn't know whether it was meant for Nick or his mother. Finnick but his lip at the question.

"The most unfortunate series of events to happen to any mammal in history," He answered. "Nick went sour somewhere in his youth. He wasn't the goody little two shoes his momma raised, but a sly, devious son of a bitch which he was most of his life. 'Ats about when he got kicked from school, too, and his momma realized he was too far gone to be a productive mammal in society. But she still worked for him, cooked for him, took him to tutors and all that stuff a mother would do for her son. She worked herself to death for him, bunny."

All Judy could do was continue her stare as Finnick's eyes became glossed in memory.

"It was a late night for both of 'em," He started, his voice becoming slower and quieter as he continued on, "Nick had just gotten kicked out by one of his tutors and his momma had just got outta work. She was drivin' home when their car went headlong into one of those armored bank trucks." There was a moment of silence, and underneath his strong expression Judy could see heartbreak. "When the police got there it was already too late. The car was in a fireball, nothin' but ashes left inside."

Judy's pity drove itself to Nick. She had never realized how hard the first few years of his life were. Another moment of melancholy silence passed before Finnick gave a toothy smiled and turned to Judy.

"You're probably wonderin' why I told you all this, bunny?" He said normally, ending the solemn tone he held before. Judy gave a weak smile back and nodded.

"The point is, his momma loved him. She loved him no matter what he was, no matter how much he screwed up, right until the end," He said with such emotional intensity Judy didn't know he had within him. "Love ain't somethin' you can turn on and off for a mammal. You gotta love their good side and their bad side." Finnick gently handed Judy the picture of Ms. Wilde. "And you gotta forgive the mistakes they've made." His paw moved into the tin can again and brought up a thin metallic object. Judy clutched it hard as she held it up closer to her eyes for inspection. It was a silver black-light pen which used invisible ink, a toy she had become very familiar with in her youth when she dreamed of becoming a detective like Sherlock Foalmes.

"You got all his stuff, right?" Finnick asked, his head tilting underneath hers to catch her eye.

"You bet," Judy replied shakily, her mind finally able to put together coherent sentences again. Finnick smiled as he stood and put his paw on her shoulder.

"Then good luck, bunny."

With that he walked past her, his slow paw steps accompanied by the low humming sound of the water pumps. Judy stared after him, her knees begin to become sore from the kneeling. Her eyes flashed down, looking at both the photo and pen. This desire she had to be more than friends with Nick was a long time in the making. That plaguing pain she had felt in her chest over the time she thought he was gone forever had been her heart yearning for her to accept her suppressed feelings. It wasn't the love between partners as was so common in the ZPD, but romantic love - a type of love she had never felt for any mammal before. Finally, the words which she had deliberately avoided for so long presented themselves in the forefront of her mind.

 _I'm in love with Nick Wilde._

Yet Finnick was right. Love was about forgiving someone else's mistakes and still loving them afterward. Whatever this pen had to do with his past, she was up for any challenge it threw her way. She could feel it in her throbbing heart. She loved Nick Wilde, unconditionally.

"Finnick!" She called out after him as she stood up. "I have to ask, how do you know all this about Nick? I mean, _I_ didn't even know anything about this."

Finnick turned, a huge grin on his face.

"Tell ya what, bunny. You sort out all these feelings you havin' and then we'll get together for drinks."

Judy smiled back and he turned away from her, cackling.

"You two mammals, man," He yelled as he opened the huge metal door, bright midday streaming past him. "If he were still here the whole world would be against you two - but I doubt either of you would care too much!"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!** **All other projects are on hold until this story has reached it's conclusion!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 6 - August 31

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Footnotes:

Prench - language of prey, culture of Prance (country where mostly deer call home)

Love's anti scent deodorant - Dove's deodorant

 **This chapter was last edited on August 29, 2016**


	8. Chapter Seven - Partner

**Vacation really takes it out of ya, mentally and physically. This is coming from someone who has spent most of the summer away from home. The one thing it does help with is focus. I was able to finish both Chapter 7 of Primal and the Prologue to A Fox in Shining Armor. Lucky for you all!**

 **Well, I recieved some 'heated' words about what qualifies as 'August 31'. I'm on US Eastern Standard time but will change to NZ Standard time within a few months. I will admit I went a day over; and for that I am sorry.**

 **Hope you enjoy chapter 7 of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction!**

* * *

"Morning Nick!" Judy greeted as she bounced away from the door. Nick smiled as he watched her jump onto the oversized metal chair, her tail twitching as she scrambled up the side of it.

"Morning Carrots. I trust you had an eventful weekend rummaging through my belongings," He sarcastically replied. At first glance his partner was cheerful and full of life. She sat with her legs crossed and smile wide and lacked even the smallest amount of scorn or disgust - in other words, the complete opposite of what he had been expecting. Maybe he had been worried about nothing over the weekend. Maybe she hadn't found out too much about his past. He breathed a sigh of relief and put his paws into his pockets.

"Well today's the first day of your recovery," She warmly commented as she slipped her paw into her pocket and pulled out a familiar phone, "So I thought It'd be best if we started with some kind words from our co-workers."

Nick raised an eyebrow as his smile retracted.

"You might want to be careful looking through that phone, Carrots. There are some pictures on there which could scar you for the rest of your life," He warned playfully. But he was completely serious. There were more than one Not-Safe-For-Work pictures of him on it.

Only hearing his savage self growl as he cowered underneath the cot, Judy began to tap on the phone and a moment later looked back up at him with a gaze full of memory.

"Right after the ZPD found out about your 'death' Ben organized an online memorial for you," She recounted with a twinge of elation, "He called it 'Slick Nick's last tixts."

Nick snorted and Judy rolled her eyes.

"I know what you're thinking, and you're right. It is a really cheesy rhyme. But it had a heartfelt purpose. Ben thought that since you were always on your phone in your free time then it was only right if he shared his final goodbye the way he thought you'd want it. Others started to catch on and eventually he had to set up a group chat to manage all the texts. And now I'm going to share some of those texts with you."

Her eyes darted down and she began to read off the phone.

"Officer Trunkaby said: 'Officer Wilde, I never knew you well. You were always just one of my many co-workers who I could barely remember the name of. But from my time working with you on the Dingo Starr case I discovered that you were a respectable mammal. You will be sorely missed.'"

Nick nodded, quickly taking in the kind words. He remembered how the elephant had helped him finish the paperwork for the particularly difficult abduction case.

"Officer Wolfenstein, who's new on the force, said: 'Officer Wilde, thank you. You showed me that a predator could become anything he wanted to be in Zootopia. You convinced me to join the force without saying a single word to me. You made me a better mammal, and for that you are my hero. Wherever you are now, I hope that you're enjoying it."

Nick smiled and frowned. He hadn't met this Officer Wolfenstein, but he had never imagined that he would be his hero. He had never imagined he'd be _anyone's_ hero. It felt great - as if he were glowing! Was this how Judy felt all the time? Basking in the warmth of others pride?

"Ben said: 'Nick, I never thought a chubby cheetah like me would ever find a friend as great as you. You were always kind and funny, even during times when you really shouldn't have been. I'm disappointed that you never liked Gazelle but my biggest regret is that I didn't try hard enough to get you and Judy together. Maybe another time :). We'll all miss you so much.'"

Nick snickered at his co-workers words. First off, 'friends' was a bit of a strong term to describe their relationship. 'Casual Acquaintances' was much more appropriate. Second, Clawhauser remembered the best of someone's personality and then completely exaggerated it. He hadn't been very kind to him over his career. More like 'occasionally polite' - but that was when he wasn't coming up with a hundred different nicknames for the rather obese cheetah. Third, no matter how much he him he would never like Gazelle. But getting together with Judy? With every day that passed he felt like the answer to that question was inching closer to 'yes'.

Judy moved her amethysts up to look at him with an amused smile.

"I'd say that Ben's biggest regret is also mine," She said racy before her eyes moved back again on the phone. Nick flicked his ear in amusement and his heartbeat sped up significantly. The answer wasn't inching closer to 'yes'; it was already on it.

Consumed by their feelings for one another, neither he or Judy noticed his savage self flick his ear at the same moment he did in the darkness.

"Even Chief Bogo left a message," Judy said, pausing for a moment to clear her throat before impersonating his heavy voice, "'Wilde. You were a good officer. Rest in peace.'"

"Nice impression of buffalo butt, Carrots," He joked. He was surprised that his superior had left him a message on account of their rocky relationship. What's more, he even called him a good officer. That simple complement was kinder than anything else the chief had ever - and probably would ever - say to him. Once he returned, he would hold that against him for the rest of his life.

"Finally, we come to mine," Judy finished, her voice suddenly out of energy. "I only wrote it yesterday. I just couldn't bring myself to do it before."

She took a deep breath.

"Well, here goes nothing," She mumbled.

"Nick. Before I met you I was some dumb country girl who moved to the big city and expected utopia. What I got instead was you. You showed me that the world wasn't all fun and games, and in return I showed you that the world could accept anyone, no matter what species they are. The months we spent together as partners were the best in my life. And the lonely months that followed were the worst."

Nick felt a sudden pain in his heart but smiled at her words none the less. Judy breathed for a moment before she continued, her voice much more shaky.

"I enjoyed every - or at least most - of the moments we spent together. They say that you only realize how much you love someone once they're gone. If that's true then I love you to the moon and back, Nick Wilde."

Nick felt his eyes widen and his ears fall as Judy's beautifully purple gaze met his. He hadn't expected her sudden, emotional outburst. She hadn't given him any warning. Stunned, all he could do was dive deep into her eyes. Within them, behind all the compassion and caring, there was sympathy. Something had changed how she felt about him very recently, and he had an eerie suspicion of what, or rather who, it was.

"I assume you met my mother," he said flatly as his shock ebbed. All she did was continue her stunningly gorgeous stare and a realization washed over him.

She loved him. She wanted to be with him, and he wanted to be with her. But did he love her?

 _NO!_ A voice within him thought. _You don't love anyone, Nick Wilde. Remember your mother? Love only brings pain! Loss! Suffering!_

 _And?_ Another voice responded. _Love is love._ _You can't deny the feelings you're having, Nick. You're in love with Judy Hopps._

 _No!_ The other voice furiously exclaimed. You _don't love her, Nick. You're her friend and she's a rabbit - a_ rabbit _. A fox can't love a rabbit! And you can't love anyone, regardless. You know that. Remember your mother, Nick. Remember all the hurt? All the flames? Do you want that to happen to her?_

Nick shook his head as his fear consumed him, and he reluctantly sided with the radical voice in his head. He was afraid to love anyone because he was afraid of losing them. He had experienced that awful feeling of guilt and heartbreak once before, and he had no intention of ever experiencing it again. If he returned to Judy only to see her die in some crime or accident then he wasn't sure he would ever find happiness again. And if he was the cause of her death, which in his position, both physically and socially, was a very real possibility, then he knew he couldn't go on living. Deep down he had an itching inkling that he loved her.

But right now, and for the rest of his life, she would only be his close friend. As careful as he could be, he drew his paw up and placed it against the vision, right on the side of her still smiling face.

"That's nice of you, Carrots," he said thoughtfully, "but I don't share the same feelings. No matter what I do or feel, I can't give you what you want."

* * *

Judy quickly strode into the assignment room, her eyes immediately moving to her seat in the front row. The seat next to hers lacked it's usual occupant, Officer McHorn, and instead seated an excited cheetah who was leaning forward onto the table and waving a large paw at her. Pleasantly surprised, she waved back.

"Morning Ben!" She greeted as she scrambled up the side of her chair.

"Morning Judy!" He nearly squealed. She cracked a grin at his glee.

"What's all the excitement about?" She asked. Clawhauser began to bounce out of his seat, his paws clutched against the edge of the table.

"Once a year I'm required to spend one day on patrol," He answered enthusiastically, "It's part of my contract as the ZPD'S secretary. And because today's that day I talked with the chief about it and he said that I could be your partner! If you wanted me to be, that is."

"That's great, Ben!" She exclaimed merrily. "I'd love it if you were my partner today."

He squealed and began to bounce up and down in his chair, adding to the already noisy room. Judy chuckled at his excitement. Even after four years of working with him she had still never worked with him directly on a case and she was just as eager as he was to see what he was capable of.

"Atten-tion!" Officer Higgins called from the doorway. The groups standing and sitting around the room broke apart as the officers took their seats. Officer Higgins moved to stand at attention next to the doorway and a moment later Chief Bogo walked through. The room erupted in noise at the sight of him. Paws slammed against desks and chants echoed throughout the room. Even Judy joined in the horseplay, and she caught Clawhauser awkwardly doing the same out of the corner of her eye.

"Quiet," The chief grumbled as he stood at the podium at the front of the room. The room fell mostly silent but all eyes moved to Clawhauser as he continued to slam his paws into the desk. Realizing his mistake he quickly clasped them together and sat up in his chair with a huge embarrassed and apologetic smile.

"As you can all see the first business of the day concerns our secretary," The Chief growled. "Today Officer Clawhauser will accompany Officer Hopps on patrol. If that's acceptable to you, Officer Hopps."

"It is, Chief," She responded.

"Good," He grumbled, turning to look down at the clipboard. "Now onto the next business of the day. The sparring and training rooms will be closed today for the yearly assessment of the BEAST squadrons. This will mean that none of you are to engage criminals which you cannot apprehend with only the help of your partners."

Chief Bogo turned the page on his clipboard.

"Assignments:"

Judy's ears perked up.

"Francine, Grizzoli, Higgins. Patrol in Tundratown."

She gave a small sigh of relief knowing that she wouldn't freeze to death today.

"Rhinowitz, Mchorn, Trunkaby. There's an unregistered passenger ferry docked at Singapaw. I need you to secure the scene so port authorities can make their sweep."

The three huge officers stood and made their way toward the door, their heavy footsteps shaking anything not bolted down.

"Fangmeyer, Delgato. Patrol in the Rainforest District. Snarlof, Anderson, Johnson. Patrol in Sahara Square. Wolford, Wolfen- Where's Officer Wolfenstein?"

"He took a sick day," Officer Wolford, his partner, shouted from the back of the room.

"Well then Anderson, you're with Wolford. Patrol in Savannah Central."

Chief Bogo looked up from his clipboard and rested his sullen and unamused gaze on Judy and Clawhauser as the last of the other officers exited the room.

"And finally, you two," He said slowly, walking away from the podium to lean over them. He threw a manila folder onto the desk and Judy opened it, finding the criminal record of Duke Weaselton.

"Weaselton is up to something," Chief Bogo said.

"He's always up to something, Chief," She remarked as Clawhauser leaned over to her.

"Who's Weaselton?" He whispered excitedly.

"Just some petty thief," She answered, annoyed that even after multiple arrests he was up to no good yet again.

"That may be true, Hopps, but our petty thief is getting himself into deep water," Chief Bogo commented. Judy closed the folder and put it back on the desk.

"For the past few days we've gotten reports of a suspicious looking weasel spending his entire day sitting on a bench in a park in Sahara Square. What makes this questionable is that the park has developed a sinister reputation for gang recruitment."

Judy frowned.

"Sir, I don't think Weaselton is trying to join a gang," She said, "It's not his usual MO. He'll do side jobs for them, but if he got involved with one then that'd cut off his income from others."

"You're probably right, Officer Hopps, but we can't take any risks," Chief Bogo responded, "You well know that Lionheart won't allow any gang-related activity in the city, and if we can stop one mammal from ruining their life forever then that's another success for his crackdown. The two of you's job will be to monitor Weaselton. If you see him talking to or following anyone he shouldn't be then book him. Understood?"

Judy nodded, and Clawhauser did the same much more energetically.

"Dismissed!" Chief Bogo ordered as he straightened himself. Judy jumped down from the chair and smiled as she followed Clawhauser, who was nearly bouncing off the walls, out the door.

"Officer Hopps, can you hang back for a moment?" Chief Bogo asked just before she walked out the door.

"Of course," She answered, reaching into her pocket and tossing Clawhauser a set of car keys.

"Ben, why don't you pull the cruiser around front?" She asked. His eyes lit up and he nodded incessantly.

"I'd love to! And don't worry, chief, we won't have a repeat of May 2013," He promised.

"We better not, Officer Clawhauser, or the cruiser won't be the only thing which needs to be repaired," The chief casually threatened.

"Understood, sir," He responded half-frightened before he hurried down the hall. Judy walked back into the room, and with a massive push from her leg she was able to shut the door behind her.

"How's Wilde?" The chief asked as he turned and stared down at her.

"No improvement yet, chief. But it is the first day of his recovery, so I didn't expect any," She answered optimistically.

"Nor did I," He agreed, giving a curt nod, "I feel that his recovery will take some time, but I am as confident as you are that he'll pull through."

There was a brief moment of stillness before the Chief cleared his throat and walked to the podium to collect his clipboard. Judy followed behind him as he advanced toward the door, unable to open the massive slab of wood by herself.

His paw rested on the doorknob for a second before he turned to look down at her.

"Every morning I want an update on his condition, Officer Hopps. If he so much as consciously twitches his ear, then I want to know about it," He ordered.

"I wouldn't hide it from you, chief," She reassured with a twinge of elation. He gave a brief nod before he pulled the door open and wandered down the hallway. She went the opposite direction, trying to be as quick as possible so she wouldn't keep Clawhauser waiting any longer than he needed to.

There hadn't been any improvement today, but she was very optimistic that over the coming weeks his condition would improve. It was the only thing he could do. Once her confession of her feelings for him sunk in he'd hopefully begin to show signs of coming back. She wanted him back, and she had to know if the feelings she was having were hers alone or mutual.

If they were hers alone, then it would hurt. She knew that. But whatever relationship they would have would be miles better than the one they shared only some weeks ago. But if their feelings for one another _were_ mutual, then their relationship would become much more closer. And passionate. Only time could tell what would happen...

But right now, she couldn't dive into those kinds of thoughts. She had a weasel to catch.

* * *

Weaselton did look out of place sitting nervously on the park bench. While sophisticated mammals dressed in suits and working clothes passed him by, he only wore an old pair of exercise shorts and a dirtied white tank top. Definitely not the attire you'd want to wear if you were trying to blend in.

Judy kept her eyes on him as she leaned forward in her seat, paws on the steering wheel. Her over-zealous partner did the same with his paws on the dashboard. From their covert position in an alley they could monitor their suspect without being seen by him, all the while not having to leave the confines of their cruiser. But after an hour and a half of intense focus there still hadn't been any movement from him.

Judy heaved and leaned back into her seat, taking her paws off the steering wheel. She glanced over at Clawhauser, who was still intently watching Weaselton in a very cramped position.

"Ben, you can move that seat back if you need to," She commented. He gave a huge sigh of relief and began to adjust the seat.

"Thank goodness!" He said as the cruiser shook at his adjustments. "I thought I was going to suffocate! I was just too nervous to change it without permission since it was still set to Nick's adjustments."

"There's no reason to worry," She reassured, turning back to the motionless weasel. _He can always just readjust it._

Now comfortable, Clawhauser turned to Judy with an excited smile.

"So this is what it feels like to be a real cop?" He rhetorically asked.

"Yep," She responded smugly, turning to lock eyes with him. "But just wait. You'll have had enough of it when our suspect still hasn't moved in six hours."

He giggled and waved his paw.

"That's funny," He exclaimed. Iit looks like you've _finally_ found the sense of humor your partner left you."

"What do you mean 'finally'?" She inquired forcefully but politely with a big frown. Clawhauser fidgeted, realizing his ill-conceived statement.

"Well," He began, "You haven't exactly been the Judy I know for the past two years."

She shifted in her seat to face him, and he continued when her face became even more sternly curious.

"You were just so focused on bringing in the Grizzly Brother that you kind of forgot everything else. I mean, you stopped going out for drinks with me, you stopped texting me after work, and eventually you just stopped talking to me!"

A sudden realization washed over Judy and she began to feel embarrassment and guilt well up inside of her.

"I can understand that you were upset- we all were. And you were his partner, which made it even worse. I'm not complaining, but you didn't have to cut me of-"

"I'm so sorry!" She loudly interrupted. "I'm so sorry, Ben! I didn't know I was that blind! I didn't mean to alienate you, and I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings! I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

She closed her eyes and took in a huge, unsmelling sniff. When she opened them she put on her most pleading face and held out a paw.

"Can you forgive me?"

Clawhauser stared at her blankly for a second before he eagerly shook her paw.

"Awwww," He almost squealed, "I could never stay mad at a cute little bunny like you!"

She smiled, ignoring his transgression. They both turned back to monitor Weaselton, who still had yet to move off the bench.

"But you have to buy me a drink," He added. "And take me to the Gazelle concert down at Westrat stadium."

"You well know that neither of us can afford tickets to that concert," She scoffed in a mock tone of outrage. Clawhauser turned to her with wide and sad eyes.

"Come on, Judy!" He pleaded, "I love her new album more than anything else in the _world!_ And If I bought a ticket to her concert then I'd starve!"

"I'm sorry, Ben," She apologized. "I love the album as much as you do, but If I were to buy two tickets then I'd starve _and_ be homeless!"

 _Although I can always crash at Nick's place now that I know where it is,_ She fancifully thought. But she wasn't ready to cross that bridge yet - it was still his house, regardless of her name now being on it's deed.

Clawhauser _Huh'd_! and crossed his arms..

"I guess you'll have to buy me _two_ drinks then," He pouted. "How does this Thursday sound? We could go out for Nick's Birthday."

Judy's eyes widened and her ears perked.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, his Birthday!" She exclaimed. "Is it really on Thursday?"

Clawhauser gave a big nod.

"I would've expect you to remember August 14, seeing how you were his girlfriend and all." He playfully commented. She just shook her head, mouth agape.

"I haven't really been thinking about the date too much," She explained. "I've been focused on some other stuff."

 _Stuff called Nick Wilde,_ She silently added.

"I'd love to go for drinks on Thursday."

"Good," He responded gaily. "We can celebrate his life and his friendship."

Judy smiled and turned back to the suspect, suppressing the feelings which urged her to tell her friend that her partner wasn't dead. She was glad that she had a friend to talk to again, even if it wasn't the one at the top of her 'Mammals I need to talk to' list. As she took a moment to analyze the situation in the park a big frown formed on her face.

Weaselton was still on the bench, but now he was accompanied by a jet-black wolf who wore dark gray running shorts and a tight blank tank top. He sat next to him, speaking, but wasn't turned towards him. Weaselton kept his eyes off his new counterpart as well, not wanting to draw any suspicion towards them both.

"Clawhauser, are you seeing this?" She asked, pointing towards the wolf.

"Yeah," He answered. "What do we do now?"

"What chief told us to do," She responded, opening the cruiser's door. "We arrest them both."

She jumped out onto the worn black concrete and slammed her door shut. The cruiser visibly shook as Clawhauser joined her on the sidewalk across from the park. Looking both ways they crossed the mildly busy street and reached the sidewalk on the other side.

"So, what's the plan?" Clawhauser eagerly inquired as they stood besides the park's high metal fence. Judy tapped her foot, her mind hard at work formulating a plan.

"Ok," She said, snapping her fingers. "I've got it. You see that gateway?"

She pointed to a metal archway she could make out at another end of the park. Clawhauser nodded.

"I need you to go guard that gate," She ordered. "Go around the park and don't let them see you. When you're in position I'll flush them toward you, and we should have them both trapped."

"Got it," He said, turning and beginning a slow jog around the perimeter of the park. Judy watched the gate at the other end of the park intently, waiting for his arrival. After what felt like an eternity he appeared, bent over and breathing hard. After he collected himself he gave a thumbs up, still panting. Judy nodded and began to walk towards Weaselton and the wolf.

Luckily her small size and the generally larger mammals walking around her concealed her from her targets. They only saw her when she was standing right in front of them, her arms crossed and foot tapping against the pavement. Stunned, all they did was stare at her as she drew out her badge.

"ZPD," She stated, "You're both und-"

They both bolted at the words, the wolf in the lead. Judy sprinted right behind them, weaving in and out of oncoming foot traffic. She cut them off as they tried to turn away and slowly herded them toward her partner. Once they saw Clawhauser they stopped dead in their tracks, trapped between the two officers in a standoff.

Weaselton made the first move, trying to rush Clawhauser but only being caught by one of his massive paws. He struggled as he was thrown to the ground and only thrashed harder when Clawhauser drew out his extra-small pair of handcuffs. Taking advantage of the situation, the black wolf threw himself over Clawhauser and landed lightly on the sidewalk before he sprinted across the street, causing the traffic to stop abruptly with a series of loud honks.

"Ben, secure Weaselton!" Judy called out behind her as she chased the wolf across the street. Directly across from the gate where Clawhauser was standing there was a long, dirty alleyway. The wolf ran straight down it and she followed, the bright mid-morning light dimly streaming between the brick buildings on either side of her.

Her adrenaline filled strides still couldn't catch up to his. He was a predator; his legs were purposely made for sprinting, but not necessarily for long-distance running. Above her own curt breaths she heard him beginning to pant heavily.

"Surrender!" She called out to him, "You can't get away! We can offer you assurances if you willin-"

His paw slipped into his pocket and Judy felt her heart freeze over.

 _He's reaching for something!_ She thought. Her police instincts kicked in and her paw fell to her belt. She managed to unlock the case to her tranquilizer gun and she drew it out at the same time the wolf's paw came out of his pocket. It was clenched around a small vile of red liquid.

 _Whatever that is, it's an unknown substance that could do harm to bystanders or officers._

She raised her tranquilizer gun and carefully aimed it at the nape of his neck.

 _I have reason to subdue him using force!_

Time slowed down as she threw herself up into the air. She gripped her gun with both paws and waited until she was at the summit of her jump to pull the trigger. Luckily, her years of shooting practice paid off. The dart found it's mark.

But at the same time the sedative entered her suspect the red liquid in the vile did as well. He crushed the glass tube in his paw and let the substance enter through the newly formed wounds. Judy landed lightly and continued her sprint after him.

He abruptly stopped as the alleyway ended in a brick wall. Judy pulled out her taser and cautiously approached him as he stared up at the sky, back turned to her.

"On the ground!" She yelled, but he didn't move. She stopped her advance on him. If he could withstand a sedative dart enough to put a elephant down in seconds then she didn't want to know what else he was capable of.

"On the ground - NOW!" She forcefully ordered.

His muscles tensed underneath his tank top, and with one massive push off the ground he hurled himself halfway up the wall. He scrambled up the other half with his claws, and Judy flinched at the sounds of metal pulling against brick.

"Metal...claws?" She asked confused.

With one final heave her suspect was on top of the building and out of sight a moment later. Judy slid her taser back into her belt and scowled at herself. She rarely lost a criminal. Her determination to catch anyone and make Zootopia a safer place drove her to be much more vigorous when it came to apprehending suspects. If this had been a fair fight he wouldn't have stood a chance against her, but whatever was in the vile had given him an unfair advantage. With a final, frustrated sigh she began to jog back down the alleyway.

"Officer Hopps," A voice below her called, "Is your suspect in custody?"

Judy reached down to her belt and held her short-distance radio up to her mouth.

"No," She responded bitterly, "He's avoided capture - for now. Is Weaselton secured?"

"Yes. I'm taking him back to the cruiser now," The radio crackled. Judy nodded.

 _At least one of the targets is in custody._ She thought. _Clawhauser doesn't make a half bad field officer._

After several minutes of light jogging she reached the cruiser and saw Clawhauser putting Weaselton in the prisoner's seat in the back.

"Hold on," She called out to him, and he looked down at her before turning his suspect to meet her face to face.

"What were you doing with that wolf, Weaselton?" She inquired aggresively.

"I ain't talkin', Flopsy the Copsy," He defiantley responded. She growled, but he wasn't intimidated.

"Put him away," She commanded Clawhauser, and he nodded before shoving him into the cruiser. Weaselton's shout of protest was cut short as the door slammed shut.

"I hope he didn't cause too much trouble," Judy said, walking to stand in front of the hood of the car.

"Oh, he didn't," He responded, coming to stand next to her. "it just took me a while to get the cuffs on him, that's all."

He looked down at her curiously.

"How'd you lose the wolf? You never lose anyone, Judy."

"He had this weird substance," She explained. "Once it was inside him he resisted my tranquilizer and scaled a perfectly vertical wall. And by the sounds of his climbing he had metal claws. Or something along those lines."

Clawhauser looked up into the partly cloudy sky, his eyes squinted.

"A strange liquid. And metal claws..." He pondered. "Not many criminals use those, do they."

Judy shook her head.

"Not many, no. They're illegal and pretty expensive, since they have to be perfectly fitted to your fingers."

She looked up at Clawhauser.

"That only makes me more worried that he's still out on the streets."

"Well, once we take our weasel back to headquarters we'll find out who this predator is and how to catch him," Clawhauser reassured.

Judy grinned.

"Well let's get back to headquarters, then," She said, turning to open the door to the cruiser. Once she was in she pulled the door shut and put on her seat belt as the car shook from her partner's entrance. She pulled the keys out of her pocket and was about to start the cruiser when she looked over at him.

"Ben," She said.

"Hmmm?" He replied, struggling with the seat belt.

"Good work today," She commended. "I forgot how good it felt to have a partner."

"Oh stop, you," He chided with a downward wave of his paw. "I was just doing my job."

Judy smiled and turned the car on. It didn't feel good to have a partner again. It felt _really_ good. Clawhauser would never be her first pick, but he was a helping and observant partner none the less. Completely different from Nick, who had been little more than a burden most days.

 _Most_ days. When he made an arrest, it was usually an important one. She could never match his skills and information he learned in the criminal underworld, but she could at least try. They were polar opposites, but that worked very well for them - like Yin and Yang. Pulling out into the slow traffic, she could hardly wait for the day when she and him would be patrolling the streets again.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 8 - September 16

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 1 - September 30

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 1 - TBA

A Debt payed in Blood: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

It doesn't feel great in the morning: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited September 1, 2016**


	9. Chapter Eight - Past

**Well, great response from both of my posts on September 1. I hope you all thought they were worth the wait!**

 **F***! I'm very sorry it took so long to get this out. I HATED the first draft of this (which was about 5700 words), so I deleted most of it. That was on the 14th, so I've been working hard these past few days to try and get this out as quick as possible. This won't happen again; I promise you that, even if it means that chapters will come out less frequently.**

 **Here we go again. Thanks for all the support. I can never get enough of it.**

 **Hope you enjoy chapter 8 of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

She was back in the courtroom.

 _"We, the citizens of Zootopia, have decided in the case of the Grizzly Brother versus The city of Zootopia that the defendant is guilty of premeditated murder."_

No, she wasn't in the courtroom. She was in her apartment, sitting at her worn desk and staring down at a closed, bright green binder.

 _"Being the judge of this case, I make the final decision for what the defendant's punishment will be. The jury has found you guilty, so I have no choice but to bow to their decision. I hereby sentence the defendant to Life in Prison for the murder of Nicholas P. Wilde. Court adjourned."_

The sound of the gavel slamming against the wooden block rung in her ears. Her eyes blankly scanned the binder as her paw absent-mindedly drew it open.

 _"I bet you feel so good about this, rabbit! Seeing me in chains must fill your heart with joy. But I'll tell you this once; I'm glad I killed Wilde. I've purged that scum from the face of the Earth. I should be treated as a hero! Do you even know what he did? How many mammals he hurt? You know nothing, Hopps. You don't know the Wilde that I knew!"_

She flicked through page after page of financial records until they turned blank.

 _"Love ain't somethin' you can turn on and off for a mammal. You gotta love their good side and their bad side. And you gotta forgive the mistakes they've made."_

Her paw reached backwards into the knapsack hanging on her chair and pulled out the same black light pen Finnick had given her at Nick's warehouse. She flicked the lamp on her table off and turned on the pen's light, shining it down onto the blank page. Bright blue ink emerged a moment later.

 _"I don't deserve my sentence! Wilde was the murderer!"_

She skipped through the blank pages. Each one was filled with hidden writing. As she scanned line after line of transactions her chest began to tighten and a disturbed feeling of dread pushed itself into the forefront of her thoughts.

 _"Wilde did things. He killed mammals! If you think I'm a monster then your partner was the embodiment of the devil!"_

Her breaths became quicker and lighter as she shined the light on and read more and more of the pages. In two words, the actions recorded on them were simply unspeakable.

 _"Drugs, weapons, stolen goods; you name it, your 'oh-so-innocent' partner dealt it!"_

Eventually, she turned off the pen's light and placed it on the desk, letting the yellow haze of the city's lights illuminate her room. It had been hours. Or minutes. Maybe even seconds. However long it had been, all she did was slowly close the binder and push it to the furthest reaches of her desk. Deep down, she had hoped that what the Grizzly Brother shouted as he was violently taken from the courtroom wasn't true. She wanted it all to be a lie. But based on what she had just seen, that was quite the opposite. With wide eyes she took a deep breath and pushed her chair out from her desk.

Her footsteps fell lightly on the creaking wooden floor as she made her way to the door to her apartment and pulled it open, her head hanging limply from her neck. She didn't know what to think anymore. How was she supposed to feel? Angry? Sad? _Hateful?_ She didn't feel any of those things. She just felt disturbed and disappointed. Disturbed by the fact that Nick hadn't always been the funny and witty fox she knew, and disappointed in the fact that he had never shared his sketchy past with her. What was she supposed to do next?

 _Forgiveness_ _._ She grimly thought. _This is what Finnick was talking about._ _If I love Nick, then I have to forgive his mistakes. And I do love Nick. I've already figured that out. But should I really forgive him after what he did to other mammals?_

She didn't even wait a heartbeat to answer.

 _Yes. Yes I should._

She exhaled loudly and straightened herself.

 _But first, I need to know the extent of his crimes._

With a quick spin she slammed her apartment door shut, which made one of her neighbors yell in outrage, and strode staunchly down the hallway. She loved Nick. But she hated how he kept her in the dark for all these years. If he had just told her about himself when she had badgered him over the course of their partnership then she wouldn't be the one digging for information now! Because if she was going to forgive him, then she needed to know the criminal Nick Wilde as well as she knew Officer Wilde. And she knew just the mammal for that conversation.

As she descended down the stairs to the first floor of her apartment building her paw reached into her uniform's tight pocket and pulled out her phone. With a few quick taps she called a number she hadn't called in years and moved her phone up to her straightened ear.

"Hello?" A squeaky voice said after a few moments of ringing

"Hey Fru Fru!" She greeted as she pushed her way through the glass door to her apartment building and out into the cool night air. "It's Judy. Listen, this may seem sudden, but do you think I could meet with your dad tonight?"

* * *

The Big Estate was just as lavish as Judy remembered. The massive hallways, built to allow the family's polar bear guardmammals to stride comfortably, were lined with tables nearly filled to the brim with picture frames, pottery, and other valuables.

 _Some of which Nick may have sold to them._ She sullenly thought as she walked past a lavish woolen pelt hanging from the wall. _But that's what I'm here to find out._

Mr. Big was more than pleased to meet with her at such short notice, according to Fru Fru. She knew that he and Nick had worked together for several years before they had a falling out and that he'd know what Nick was like before he joined the force. Normally the crime lord was very quiet when it came to talking about his past dealings with other mammals. She had found that out the hard way when she was the godmother of Judy, Fru Fru's daughter. When she was visiting her after work one day once she had tried to ask about Mr. Big about he and Nick's history together, but all the he did was raise an eyebrow and glare at her.

But that was probably because he and Nick's relationship had never fully healed when Nick was still 'alive'. As far as she knew Nick had never talked to Mr. Big after the Night Howler Case, and apparently that did not sit well with him. Even with her being his goddaughter she had once overheard him saying that he could "barely tolerate that deceitful fox, regardless of his association with the saver of my daughter's life."

That all changed, though, when Nick 'died'. A few days after the dreadful news reached Zootopia's ears Mr. Big had come to her doorstep and offered his sincerest condolences. Even he seemed shaken at her partner's violent end. Besides his comfort he also excused her from being his goddaughter until she decided to return. Since then, she had only seen him one other time - at Nick's funeral. Underneath his bushy eyebrows she knew she had seen tears, or at the very least _a_ tear. Perhaps he had finally forgiven him for the disrespect he had shown to his mother. She certainly hoped so, because if he hadn't then he'd probably still be silent about he and Nick's history together.

The hallway she was still walking down ended in a huge double doorway with two polar bears standing to the side of it. As the gap between her and the doors shrunk the two polar bears pushed open the entrance and stepped through to stand just inside the study. She did the same, and gave them a thankful nod as they closed the doors behind her. The room was a trapezoid, with the doors being on the larger of the non-slanted sides while the smaller non-slanted side was nothing but a pane of glass which looked out over the Tundratown downtown area.

Bookshelves and paintings lined the walls and a massive, 20th-century looking desk faced toward the doorway. She looked up at the desk and walked forward unwavering, observing the two mammals sitting by it. Koslov, Mr. Big's personal guard and assistant, was sitting behind it while the crime lord himself sat in a tiny chair on the desk.

"Judy," Mr. Big said delighted as he limply held out his paw, "My darling, It is good to see you again after so long."

Judy gave a small smile.

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Big," She replied in a formal tone. She stood up on her toes and barely managed to peck his outstretched paw over the height of the desk.

"Tell me, how is life treating you?" He asked as he drew his paw back to rest against the arm of the chair.

"Well enough," She somberly answered, giving a fake smile. Mr. Big leaned forward slightly in his chair.

"What troubles you, my dear?" He gently asked, "I can see your heart is heavy. Tell me."

Judy paused for a moment, trying to find a way to gently move the subject to her partner's criminal history. If she charged straight into it, then Mr. Big may lose his kindness he usually held for her. But if she didn't ask soon then the dark curiosity inside her would boil over.

"It's about the Grizzly Brother," She managed to say.

"Ahhhhh. I see," Mr. Big said, nodding and wagging his finger at her. "Your police discipline isn't as strong as it once was and you don't think the Brother's sentence is severe enough. If you wish to have him permanently erased, then I can have one of my informants slip something into his dr-"

"No!" She suddenly exclaimed, and Mr Big lowered his paw and fell silent. She wouldn't talk about murdering another mammal. She was an officer of the law - she had no choice but to accept the court's ruling. There was no way around that. And life in prison was a relatively harsh sentence for the Grizzly Brother's other crimes once the 'murder' charge was taken off his record, even though she knew that it never would be.

"I'm a policemammal, Mr. Big. I could never go behind the city's back and execute my own justice," She explained, rolling her paws in front of her and giving a nervous grin. "I haven't come here tonight to discuss ways around the law. I've come to you to talk about what the Grizzly Brother said in court earlier today."

Mr. Big raised one eyebrow and stared down at her, but she stood her ground with a respectful and serious gaze. She knew he'd be reluctant to talk, but she also knew that she was an honorary member of the Big family and wouldn't be subject to disappearing like other mammals who had tread her path before.

Their stare never broke as Mr. Big snapped his fingers, signalling for privacy. Behind her, the two polar bear guardmammals opened the doors and stepped out into the hallway before they quietly closed and locked the entrance shut. Koslov remained in the room, motionlessly looking down at her with a half-sad half-angry stare from behind his boss.

"Judy," Mr. Big cautiously began, "My darling, you are wading into very deep water. A crime boss does not speak about his past dealings with anyone, especially not a cop."

He paused for a moment and gave a drawn-out, defeated sigh.

"Yet you are an exception to the rules. You have grown on me as much as Nicky did. You saved my daughter's life all those years ago, and I have not forgotten that. All you wish to know is a chapter of your partner's life story, and that is harmless. But before I continue, I must know. Am I speaking to Judy Hopps, or am I speaking to Officer Hopps?"

"You're speaking to Judy Hopps," She firmly assured, although her police uniform she wore spoke differently. Mr. Big gave a slow nod.

"Right answer," He said and gave another snap of his fingers. At the signal Koslov slowly stood up and walked across the room to a small table with a bottle of wine and a dozen different sized cups sitting on it.

"Nicky's past is a touchy subject," He continued as Koslov poured two glasses of wine. "You must remember, he was a criminal himself. He worked with criminals, he lived with criminals, he was always around criminals."

Koslov returned carrying a rabbit-sized chair in one paw and two small glasses of wine in the other.

"Drink?" Mr. Big asked as he took a sip from his glass.

"No thanks," Judy answered, shaking her head and waving a paw as Koslov stared down at her. The polar bear just put the extra glass on the table and sat the rabbit-sized chair next to her.

"Take a seat, darling, and we shall begin," Mr. Big commanded. She obliged and lowered herself to sit on the edge of the comfortable red-padded chair.

"It all started 17 years ago," He recounted. "I was searching for a wedding present for my oldest son, and word reached my ears about a gold-and-emerald ring that was being sold by a typically trustworthy jeweler. I was curious, so I sent Koslov here to investigate the claims, and he returned with the ring. At best, I was reluctant to believe that a three century old ring could remain so perfect after so long."

He took a small sip from his glass.

"So I took it to an antiquities dealer, and what do you know? It was a fake, but a very good one at that. I was going to have the badger who sold it to me disappear forever, but she told me that it wasn't Her fault. She said that he purchased it from a rich fox who had just arrived in the city and that _that_ was the mammal I should've been looking for. So I did , and who did I find but a low-class Fennec fox and his annoyingly sarcastic friend."

"Finnick's his name," Judy informed him.

"Yes, that's the one," He acknowledged as he rolled his wine glass. "At first I could be described as being less than pleased with him."

 _So he was furious._ Judy thought as she crossed her legs to sit in a more comfortable position.

"But I was also curious," He continued. "Usually mammals don't have the guts to scam a crime lord out of a hundred grand. So I offered them a choice. Either pay back their dues or go on a very, very long vacation. It doesn't need to be said that they both happily accepted my offer of service."

Mr. Big shifted in his chair and sat up straighter, as if he couldn't get comfortable.

"I started them off at the bottom, doing laborious work unloading and organizing incoming shipments of goods. Once they showed me that they wouldn't bolt at a moments notice, I decided to put them in a more active position."

Judy's stare became hard and suspicion filled her thoughts. She didn't like the sound of " _a more active position"_ for one moment.

"A more _active_ position?" She forcefully inquired, wanting an informative explanation.

"Enforcers," Mr. Big clarified. "A fox may not have as much muscle power as a polar bear, but their psychological strength is very impressive. A snarling fox is typically more unsettling than a snarling lion."

He took another sip from his glass.

"They both worked for me for about a year, give or take a few months, and in that time I saw the potential businessmammals within them. So once their debts were paid I offered them another choice. They could either go back out on the streets and continue to swindle mammals out of a few bucks or work for me and become some of the richest mammals in the city. Finnick, that snappy fox, refused my offer. But Nicky knew better than to turn down a chance to disrupt the natural order of wealth."

"So he accepted?" Judy assumed.

"Of course," Mr. Big answered. "Why wouldn't he? Back then, there were no rich foxes, and nothing pleased Nicky more than money. He was obsessed with it, consumed by it, even more so than I was. He held it up to an almost religious reverence. He came to work for me not because of fear of me or love for the business but because of greed."

Mr. Big drunk the last of the wine and leaned forward to place his now empty glass on the desk below him.

"At first I gave him strict instructions. To monitor the transfer of goods and to secure agreements with suppliers-"

"What kind of suppliers?" She rudely and sharply interrupted, but regret filled her as Mr Big raised an eyebrow at her outburst and Koslov gave a toothy smile.

"Please refrain from interrupting me, darling," He told her. "I shall tell you my story and then you may ask your questions. But for your information, he acquainted himself with all kinds of mammals. They were suppliers of, how to say, _missing_ goods. But that also included counterfeit cash, narcotics, and even some weapons. Over time, Nicky began to develop strong bonds with some of the dealers of these goods. He became especially fond of a fox by the name of Voltaire, who I'm sure you've met by now."

Judy gave a curt nod, her mouth clenched shut so she couldn't interrupt him again.

"Now back then, Voltaire was more than just a bartender. He was the mammal who seemed to know all the schedules of all the dealers in the city. If you wanted a meeting with someone, then he was the dog to talk to. Together he and Nicky earned millions, for both themselves and for me. That was the only reason why I let their business partnership flourish for as long as it did - because I was hungry for more wealth. But I soon noticed that Nicky was even hungrier, and that's when I began to worry."

Mr. Big gave an artificial sigh of anguish and collapsed into his chair, and Koslov looked down at him with a sincere expression.

"Nicky was my prodigy. No other mammal who has ever worked for me brought me more money than he did. But in the end, he had always been working for himself. At first, I didn't believe that he was making deals behind my back. I warned him that if I ever caught him doing as such, then he'd _removed._ Forever. He insisted that he wasn't betraying me, and I wanted to believe him. But you can never trust a fox."

Mr. Big turned his head ever so slightly away from her to stare off into space, as if he was watching a memory play out like a movie.

"He and Voltaire saw an opportunity to scam a foreign crime lord out of several million dollars, and they took it. But they messed up. Nicky didn't play his cards right, and as a result he lost everything. The fortune he had accumulated over his decade working for me was gone in a flash. His reputation was forever tarnished. When I saw him afterward, I was irate. I was going to make him disappear into the Tundratown harbor."

Mr. Big let his mouth hang open as his head remained still and his eyes darted back to Judy's.

"But then I saw his eyes. The eyes, Judy, are the portals to the soul. And his soul was vanquished. So I took mercy on him, and sent him out into the world without a penny or a second thought. The only thing I did give him was a final warning. If I ever saw him again, then he'd end up like the badger who sold me that _fake_ ring all those years ago."

"So that story you told me about how he disrespected your mother-" Judy began, moving her paws to rest on top of one another in her lap.

"-nothing but a lie," Mr. Big finished, and she gave a curt nod.

"Can you tell me more about what he was like back then," She asked, but rephrased the question when Mr. Big gave a puzzled frown. "What his personality was like."

"Ahh," Mr. Big said, nodding. "Yes, I can tell you that. But you will not enjoy it for one moment."

"I'm not afraid of what you have to say," Judy reassured. Her partner was a criminal, a violator of the law, and a murderer. It couldn't get much worse than that, and all she asked Mr. Big to do was to put adjectives to his name.

"Your partner was not a nice mammal," Mr. Big gently informed. "His greed caused him to be cruel and unfeeling. He was so obsessed with sticking it to society, to show that a fox wouldn't be held down by the restraints put on him by others, that his sense of morality completely dissolved. Becoming as successful, or more so, than some of the non-predatory businessmammals was his goal, and to do that he'd do anything. He stepped on countless mammals. If slandering their reputation didn't work, then he'd attack their incoming shipments or send out hit men to strike at their distributors. And if _that_ didn't work, then he'd take them off the grid. Permentantly."

Mr. Big's gaze became filled with compassion as he delivered what he thought to be devastating news.

"I'm sorry, Judy. Nicky was a murderer."

Judy nodded in understanding.

"I know," She said with a sad smile. _And that's just something I'll have to forgive him for._

"You know?" Mr. Big asked with a puzzled frown.

"I have his financial records," She clarified. Mr. Big sat in silence for a moment, his eyes flicking over her with solemn regret and curiosity.

"I'm sorry you had to see those," Mr. Big apologized. "They aren't exactly the nicest way to be introduced to the _real_ Nicky."

Judy smirked and huffed in laughter at his deliberate stress of the word.

"No," She commented and slowly shook her head back and forth as every illegal transaction from the binder slowly repeated itself in her mind. "No they were not."

"But you seem to be taking the news quite well," He commented, and she gave a small shrug.

"Well, I've always known that he was a criminal," She said, her voice progressively becoming more and more annoyed. "I just never knew the severity of it. Sometimes I thought that he was nothing more than a street scammer. Sometimes I became suspicious that he did kill mammals; his aim with a dart gun was too good to have been learned only from the academy. But whenever I asked him about his past he was a closed book to me."

"And you're angry at him for what he did?" Mr. Big questioned, but Judy shook her head.

"I'm not angry with him about what he did," She explained. "After years of being on the force, I've witnessed every kind of prejudice he had to face. I understand that he didn't have any other option than to turn to a life of crime. I'm mad at him because he never bothered telling me any of this."

"I see," Mr. Big said. "But there's no point in staying mad at him for that."

Judy exhaled loudly and looked down at the dark oak floorboards. Mr. Big was right. Staying mad at him would only further complicate the already complex situation she was stuck in.

"You're right," She accepted. "Staying mad at him won't bring him back."

 _Not from death, but from his primal instincts._ She silently added.

"The only thing left I can do is forgive his mistakes," She finished, turning to look back up at Mr. Big again. To her surprise he had leaned forward in his chair to the point where he was about to fall off it and was staring straight at her with an outraged and curious frown. His beady eyes, which rarely came out from underneath his bushy eyebrows, flicked from one corner of her eyes to the other with such intensity that it made her wonder if he was searching for the lost city of Atratis **[1]**. When he finally found whatever he was searching for he leaned back in his chair with a dumbfounded and shocked expression.

"Love?" He silently whispered, but Judy's acute ears picked up the word and her eyes widened at it's mention.

"What did you say?" She asked disbelievingly. Mr. Big focused his eyes on her, his surprised expression still evident on his face.

"Love," He stated, raising his paw to limply point his finger at her. "You love Nicky."

A strained moment of silence took hold of the room as Judy thought about how the small mammal figured out her feelings for her partner.

"I do," Was all she said, answering his question with a twinge of suspicion. Mr. Big lowered his paw.

"How long?" He asked, his voice suddenly hard and serious.

"I don't know," She answered. "Probably ever since he died, but I only realized it this past weekend."

"It was the Fennec fox, wasn't it? Who told you you had to forgive Nicky if you truly loved him?"

"Yes," She answered. It was beginning to feel like their discussion was more like an interrogation, and she was the mammal being hammered by the interrogator.

"And do you forgive him?" He finished, propping himself up with one arm and leaning forward as much as physically possible. Judy stared straight into his concentrated and inquiring eyes.

"Without a doubt," She sincerely answered, and with those simple words all the guilt and anger which had plagued her since she learned about her partner's mistakes dissolved into a feeling of closure and forgiveness.

Mr. Big looked at her for several more quiet moments before he leaned back in his chair, a genuine smile emerging on his face.

"Right answer," He almost joyfully said. "It pleases me to know that even after such a difficult and... _regretful_ life, Nicky finally had someone, or more correctly _will_ have someone, who has feelings for him not rooted in business or hate."

Judy nodded with a frown on her face and opened her mouth, wanting to ask how he found out about her feelings for Nick, but at the same time she did Mr. Big also opened his mouth. She snapped hers shut first and motioned for him to talk. He returned the polite gesture with a downward wave of his paw.

"I have to ask, how'd you figure it out?" She inquired with suspicion, the frown still on her face. Mr. Big chuckled at her question.

"Darling," He explained. "I haven't gone behind your back to do my own detective work. I'm not that devious. It's your eyes which have betrayed you."

He raised one paw up to point at his own eye.

"They are the portals to the soul, and in your soul I see love and exoneration."

"Nick says that," Judy commented with a small grin, her frown lowered and the suspicion in her voice and mind gone. But it was replaced with a twinge of anxiety. She didn't know how she felt about Mr. Big knowing the feelings she had for her partner.

"He _said_ that," Mr. Big corrected. "He isn't with us anymore."

 _You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth._ She wanted to respond, but in reality just gave a sad nod.

"I'm the one who told him that," Mr. Big revealed. "And I'm also the one who told him that if you truly love a mammal, then you must love their good side and their bad side, and forgive the mistakes they've made."

"Well I've done just that," She said, smiling. Mr. Big leaned forward in his chair again, peering into her eyes.

"Yes, you have," He acknowledged, raising a finger to point at accusingly her. "But something still troubles you. Not as much as before, but I see worry in your eyes none the less. Tell me, what continues to make you uneasy?"

"I'm just not sure how I feel about you knowing my feelings for Nick," She politely explained. "It's nothing to do with you; It's just that I need time to get used to the fact that he was, in all honesty, _evil_."

"I see," Mr. Big said, nodding in understanding and relaxing into his chair again. "I'll be silent for as long as you wish me to be so."

"Thank you," She said, giving the arctic shrew a formal smile. "I'll tell others, but It'll be in my own time."

"Take as long as you need," He said, and there was a moment of serene silence before he continued. Judy could feel their conversation coming to it's end.

"What will you do now, darling?" He asked. "It is very late; if you wish to spend the night, then there are many rooms to choose from."

"Thanks for the offer, Mr. Big, but tonight I need to sleep in my own bed," She said, sliding off her chair and lowering herself to the ground.

"If that is your decision, darling, then Manchas is waiting outside to take you home or wherever else you wish to go," Mr. Big responded, resting his head against one of his paws while snapping his fingers with the other. The two polar bears standing on the other side of the doorway unlocked the doors and held them open for Judy.

"I hope to see you again in the near future," Mr. Big said.

"So do I," She respectfully replied, smiling in farewell. She began to walk out of the study, but felt herself stop in the doorway. There was an unanswered question still stuck in her head.

"Mr. Big," She began, turning to look at him from across the room. "Do you think it'd be possible for me to see Judy sometime?"

Even though his smile was minuscule, she could still see it crystal-clear.

"Anything for my goddaughter," He answered. "Welcome back to the family, darling."

With a final grin she turned away from him, for good this time, and quickly made her way down the hallway. Even though the day had been long, stressful, and not too positive, she had learned everything about Nick's past that she needed to know in order to forgive him. And she had forgiven him; but the shock of what he had done was still with her. She suspected it would remain with her for a very long time. Maybe it would never go away. But she couldn't let that change who she was, how she acted, and how she felt about her partner. She loved him; that was certain.

Without looking down her paw brought up her phone from her pocket, swiped it open and tapped through her contact list until it found the mammal it was looking for. She held the phone up to her straightened ear as she nodded in thanks to a polar bear holding open one of the many 'front doors' scattered around the Big estate. As the phone rung Judy turned her attention up to the sky, hoping to see the stars. She loved them. Back in Bunnyburrow, whenever weather would permit it and her sibling's didn't catch her, she'd go outside in the middle of the night and stare up at the seemingly endless ocean above her. But here in Zootopia she didn't have that luxury. The only thing above her was the yellow haze of the city's lights reflecting off the thin layer of clouds.

Moving her gaze down, she smiled and gave a friendly nod at Manchas as he held the back door to the limousine open. He smiled back, but Judy could see that if she wasn't on the phone then he'd apologize for Nick's death or the Grizzly Brother's words or something along those lines.

Just as she was consumed by the warmth hanging in the air of the back seat of the limousine, someone finally picked up the other end of the line.

"So help me god," A deep, cranky voice said. "If you ever call me this early again, bunny, I'll choke you to death with your own damn ears."

"Are you threatening an officer, Finn?" She sarcastically asked as she struggled to put on her seat belt with a single paw. All Finnick did was grumble at her use of his nickname.

"It's two in the morning! What are you doing up this late?" He yelled at her in a half-tired half-serious rage.

"I'm heading home," She casually responded. "I've just finished learning about Nick's mistakes."

There was silence on the other line, and for a moment all Judy heard was the gentle rumble of the limousine's engine.

"Big?" Finnick eventually asked.

"Yep," She responded. Another moment of silence took hold of the conversation.

"And?"

"I've forgiven him," She informed.

"That's not a wise choice at all, bunny," Finnick said.

Judy chuckled at his sarcastic statement.

"Soooo..." She almost eagerly started once her laughter subsided. "When are we getting together for drinks?"

"You're actually gonna hold me to that?" Finnick responded in mock disbelief.

"Hey, you're the one who said we should meet up after I've sorted out my feelings!" She exclaimed. Finnick just grumbled.

"Well when do you wanna do it, bunny?" He asked in defeat.

"How's this Thursday sound?" She started. "I'm supposed to meet up with a co-worker who was also one of Nick's friends. We could all meet up at _The Fox's Den_ and celebrate Nick's birthday."

"Thursday's Nick's birthday?" Finnick asked in confusion.

"Hell, he never told me 'bout it," He almost silently mumbled, but Judy's efficient hearing was able to pick up the words.

"How does that sound?" She asked, not bothering to press him about why he didn't know the date of his friend's birthday. From the other end of the line Judy heard Finnick inhale loudly and scramble around what sounded like his bed sheets.

"I'll mark it down," He said with a click of a pen.

* * *

The doors slammed shut, and Mr. Big released a heavy sigh as he rested his head against the back of his chair.

"That rabbit," He said, slowly shaking his head. "She's a very strange individual. Could you imagine what she and Nicky would've been like together?"

"No different than what they were before," Koslov responded in his heavy Tundran **[2]** accent.

"I suppose," Mr. Big exhaled with a shrug. "But imagine what it would've been like to see them walking down the street paw in paw. A fox and a rabbit! In simple words, outrageous."

"They wouldn't have made many friends either," Koslov added.

"No," Mr. Big agreed. "No they wouldn't have. But I don't think either would've cared."

"As long as they have each other," Koslov joked with a light chuckle.

"Don't start with that myth, Koslov," Mr. Big growled. "Delicate love wouldn't have gotten them anywhere. It would've been the fire in their hearts burning for one another which drove them on. Judy is smart and rational. Nicky _was_ sly and calculating. Together, they could've overcome whatever society threw at them."

Mr. Big stood up from his chair and signaled for Koslov to pick him up. The polar bear obliged and gently let him walk into the palm of his hand.

"Maybe it is for the best that Judy has only now realized her love for Nicky," Mr. Big commented as he leaned onto his cane with both paws. "There are many powerful mammals who wouldn't have liked to see an inter-species couple on the streets."

"Mammals such as _Bellwether_ ," Koslov huffed in amusement as he stared straight ahead, making sure the impacts from his footsteps wouldn't shake his boss off his paw.

"We both know she isn't coming out of prison anytime soon," Mr. Big responded. "The real opponent to their relationship would've been her rabid dog."

Koslov gave a toothy snarl at the mention of the mammal and Mr. Big grumbled in discontent with him.

"I hate him as much as you do, Koslov," The arctic shrew assured, turning to face the massive polar bear. "But we are in no position to do anything about it. The only thing we can do now is breathe a sigh of relief that Prophit didn't get his barbaric claws on either of them."

* * *

 **Well, see you again in two weeks!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 9 - September 30

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 1 - September 30

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited September 18, 2016**

 **Footnotes:**

[1] - Atrantis, pun on Atlantis

[2] - Tundran, language of the tundra. Pun on, guess what? Russian.


	10. Chapter Nine - Whispers

**I don't have many words this time around. Great response from my last post, hope you enjoyed it, yada yada yada.**

 **In the mean time, I've been keeping up with a WildeHopps comic AU which may interest you. It's name is simply** _Civil War AU_ **, and it can be found on ProgressOfTomorrow's (the author's) tumblr page. Go show her some support!**

 **Also, here's a little note about what's to come. These past few chapters have been quite 'boring' when it comes to the romance between Nick and Judy, and luckily if you haven't been enjoying these chapters then you'll be pleased to know that the old kinds of lots o' emotion chapters will return after CH9. If you _have_ been enjoying these slightly grittier chapters, then also luckily for you more of these kinds will be present in Primal's as-of-now unnamed sequel!**

 **A final tip: READ THE DAMN FOOTNOTES. THEY'LL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE STORY BETTER. ALSO, THERE HAVE BEEN MINOR CHANGES TO THE FIRST PART OF CHAPTER 7. GO READ THAT AGAIN.**

 **As always, thanks for all the support. I'm trying to be more punctual with updates, but it can get problematic with my schedule.**

 **Let's go. Here's Chapter 9 to Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.**

* * *

"What's the meaning of this! Didn't I tell you there should be no interruptions?"

"You did, sir," The grey fox standing in the doorway politely acknowledged as he stared at his employer with a cool expression. "But we have serious developments coming out of Zootopia."

The old, short-tempered fox growled at his butler and turned to look at the two hyenas sitting on the antique couch across from him.

"I'm so sorry," He apologized to them in Zenglish **[1]**. "But something has come up, and I'll need to be excused for a moment."

"Are you trying to cheat us?" The larger hyena angrily asked as he pulled his lips back in a snarl. "I've heard that you should _never_ trust a fox who speaks Vulch **[2]** in your presence."

"Wise words," The old fox commented, smiling, as he rose from his antiquarian Victorian chair. "But my butler speaks no other language. I hope that is not troubling."

Both hyenas shook their heads, their expressions still stern and cold.

"Good," He continued as he began to walk toward the doorway still being held open by the grey fox. "I shall return momentarily."

As soon as he was in the hallway and the door was shut behind him the red fox's smile vanished and the elation he bore for his guests disappeared.

"What," He growled as he glared down at his butler. All the grey fox did was motion toward a white wolf in a heavy black coat and dark grey pants who was leaning against the wall just beside the door. The aged red fox studied the figure for a moment and frowned before he turned back to his butler and gave a quick nod.

"Leave us," He forcefully commanded. The grey fox gave a small bow and walked off down the hallway, and as soon as he was out of earshot the old fox turned to the wolf with a hard stare.

"This better be worth my time," He threatened. "I have two ' _extremely kind'_ arms dealers in there which I've spent a very long time trying to get a hold of, and they don't hold too much trust for foxes. If I'm gone for too long then they'll abandon negotiations."

"Oh, this is worth your time, Prophit," The wolf reassured as he pushed himself off the wall to face his tall counterpart. "Your informant has sent news from the city."

The frown on the red fox's face was replaced by a hopeful stare and he tilted his head in curiosity.

"So that penniless weasel was the mammal I've been looking for all along?" He curiously and hopefully inquired, but the wolf shook his head.

"No, the weasel's a lost cause with Lionheart," He explained. "The informant approached him in a public park and talked with him for a moment, but before he could extract any information from him they were jumped by the blue. The weasel's in custody now and our informant barely escaped with his tail. He had to use that Ursaguyan **[3]** narcotic you sent him just to avoid being captured by our _dear_ _friend_ in the ZPD."

" _Hopps_ ," The red fox growled as his eyes became filled with fire and he turned his head to stare down at the wooden floor, imagining the beaten and slashed body of the rabbit resting at his feet. "Why does she have to be such a good cop!"

The wolf gripped the old fox's shoulder with his own paw.

"If you hate her so much, then why don't you kill her, Prophit?" He asked. The fox looked back up at him, bewildered, and shrugged his paw off.

"Because I feel nothing but anger when I think of her," He answered. "And If you hate a mammal, you don't kill them. You make them _bleed_. If she were to die tomorrow, then she'd be a martyr, just like Nicholas. How would that benefit my cause? I'm a politician, Stijn. Murder is not the answer in this scenario."

The red fox gave a drawn-out, frustrated sigh as he slipped his paws into the pockets of his well-kept fur coat.

"I trust our informant wasn't identified by Hopps?"

The wolf shook his head.

"Good," The fox grumbled. "Tell him to call in sick for a few more days and not to contact us for a few months. We can't let the ZPD find out where his true loyalty lies. Now if that's all you have to say, then I'll return to business-"

"That's the bad news, Prophit," The wolf interrupted as he crossed his arms, and the old fox raised an eyebrow at his statement. "There's also good news. Your informant has brought back developments from his trip to the arctic."

A small smile grew on the wolf's face.

"Apparently, your traitorous friend isn't as dead as we thought he was," He finished.

"No..." The fox said disbelievingly, but as he studied the continued smile on the wolf's face surprise and happiness flared up inside of him.

"Really!" He squealed like a kit in a candy store. "He's alive? Extraordinary! He sure had me fooled! How'd he do it? Wait- don't answer that. I'll figure that out eventually. But why hasn't Lionheart announced his return?"

"Because when they found him he was savage, and as far as our informant knows he still is," The wolf replied.

"That's even better!" The fox exclaimed excitedly, the beginnings of a plan beginning to form in his head. "Lionheart has a loose end, and It just happens to be the most despicable mammal who's ever lived. Oh, the fun I'm going to have with the both of them!"

"I thought society told us not to play with our food," The wolf joked. The old fox bent his head back in laughter, the light coming from the small chandelier above him ominously reflecting off his steel teeth.

"Stijn, Nicholas isn't _my_ food!" He corrected as his laughs turned into almost hysterical giggles. "He's a tree. His purpose in this world is to be my battering ram. And once his job is finished, then he'll be turned into firewood."

The old fox flexed his paws, letting the cool touch of his steel claws run across his velvet palms and the thick fur inside his coat's pockets.

"I should apologize for threatening to burn my predatory brother," He said as he gave a maniacally murderous yet calculating smile. "But that's what I do, isn't it? Save the isolationists from the fire, and let the traitors be judged by the flames."

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Judy?" Clawhauser asked in a concerned tone as he looked up at the bright red neon sign hanging above the fox-sized black door of _The Fox's Den_.

Judy turned her gaze to squint up at the huge cheetah who's head was blocking most of the orange sunlight coming from the setting sun, and a reassuring smile appeared on her face. Even though he was an adventurous spirit, Clawhauser rarely ventured away from the bars in the downtown district of the city. So standing with her on the dirty and abandoned sidewalk just outside of Voltaire's bar must've been a strange and undesirable situation for him to be in.

"Come on, Ben!" She eagerly exclaimed, keeping her eyes locked with his as she walked up to the fox-sized entrance. "When have I ever chosen a bad place for drinks?"

Clawhauser's eyes suddenly became filled with memory and he raised a paw and opened his mouth.

"Actually, don't answer that," She said before he could speak a word. "Just trust me, please?"

Clawhauser let his paw fall to his side and a joking smile emerged onto his face.

"I'll trust you, Judy," He said. "But if tonight turns out like what happened at that rabbit's bar you took me and your _boyfriend_ to that one time, then I'm the one who gets to pick where we go for drinks for the rest of the year."

Judy rolled her eyes and scoffed at him as she turned back to the entrance of the bar.

"Fine," She said in a mock tone of irritation as she pushed her way through the black-padded door, hearing Clawhauser following close behind her.

"And for the last time, Nick wasn't my-" She began, but quickly stopped herself. _Nick_ wasn't _my boyfriend._ She corrected in her head. _But once he's back to normal, then..._

 _Yes. That is, if he loves me back..._

The interior of the bar hadn't changed one bit since Judy's visit a week prior. The scarlet lights reflected off every smooth surface in the room, and an old Amy Whinehouse **[4]** hit was playing on the overhead speakers at the most enjoyable volume known to any rabbit who ever lived. The booths on the right side of the room still lacked occupants, and so did most of the stools on the left. The only mammals present in the bar were Finnick, who was sitting on one of the stools close to the end of the counter, and Voltaire, who was standing behind the counter and facing his vulpine counterpart.

"Evening!" Judy called out as she strolled up to the pair. Finnick turned around in his chair, a large grimace on his face, while Voltaire just stared at her with a warm and calm expression.

"Evening, bunny!" Finnick shouted with an upward flick of his head.

"Good evening, Ms. Hopps," Voltaire politely greeted as Judy scrambled her way up onto the stool next to Finnick. "I trust you've had a nice week?"

"Nice enoug-" She started, but turned her head back to the door when Clawhauser gave a fake cough to get her attention. The massive cheetah had managed to get himself halfway into the bar, but because of his enormous body size and the comparatively small doorway he couldn't get the other half of his body through.

"A little help for the fat mammal, please?" He said with an embarrassed smile. Judy returned a smile of her own and was about to slide off her stool and help pull him in, but before she could move an inch Voltaire was already standing in front of the cheetah, his paws resting on his hips.

"It appears that the door isn't large enough for you, Mr..?" The bartender politely inquired.

"Clawhauser," Clawhauser awkwardly said as he managed to raise a paw out toward the fox. "But you can call me Ben."

"Right, Ben," Voltaire continued as he shook Clawhauser's outstretched paw. "Luckily for our larger patrons we have a loading door out back which you should be able to fit through. If you can scoot back then I can show you around to it."

Judy giggled as she watched Clawhauser awkwardly wriggle himself out of the doorway as Voltaire moved to hold open the door, the embarrassment on the cheetah's chubby face only growing when Finnick's laughs joined those of his long-eared coworker's.

"I'm sorry, Ben," She apologized, not wanting to hurt her friend's feelings. "We're not laughing at you, but the way you're backing up is just so-"

Judy stopped herself as Clawhauser popped out of the doorway, his feet quickly backing up from the doorway as he tried to keep his large form from falling onto the sidewalk. All she could do was laugh that little bit harder, and even though she felt bad for being humored by another mammal's struggle she knew that Clawhauser would also be laughing at the sheer outrageousness of his exit.

"Don't worry. Mr. Clawhauser appears to be in good spirits," Voltaire said over his shoulder as he walked out onto the sidewalk and disappeared from view, letting the door snap shut behind him. After a few more moments of hard laughing, both she and Finnick were able to control themselves again.

"Bunny, you got some strange friends!" Finnick commented as he gave her a hard slap on the back and raised an eyebrow. "And speakin' of friends, you're a bit overdressed for tonight, aren't ya?"

Judy looked down at herself, carefully observing the clothes she was wearing. On her feet were a pair of bright red open-toed high heels that her parents had bought her for her sweet sixteen and she couldn't seem to outgrow. Curled around her legs, waist, and chest was a black 1-shoulder dress she only wore on serious or special occasions. And tonight was just that occasion - it was her partner's birthday! And her partner wasn't just _her_ _partner_ anymore. In her mind, that reason was more than enough to go the extra mile to look alluringly good.

"I don't get what you're talking about," She commented, raising an eyebrow to copy Finnick's expression and nodding toward his black collard shirt with a red stripe down it. "I'm not dressed for a friend, Finnick, and If anyone isn't dressed appropriately- it's you! Mr. I-only-have-one-shirt-that-I-ever-wear."

Finnick snorted at her joke and slowly shook his head, but before he could respond casual chatter echoed out of the back room of the building and he and Judy turned their heads to gaze at the closed red curtain where Judy remembered the 'excited' giggles coming from the last time she was here. A moment later Voltaire emerged with a huge smile on his face and Clawhauser following close behind him, laughing uncontrollably.

"Judy, you have the most delightful friends!" The cheetah joyfully exclaimed as he moved to the end of the counter, where Voltaire was pushing up an extra-large stool for him to sit in.

"And who might this cute little fox be?" He continued, staring at Finnick with an awe-struck expression as he plopped his rear on the stool and moved his paws to hold up his massive chin. Judy opened her mouth and tried to warn Clawhauser about the Fennec fox's rather explosive personality, but before she could speak a word Finnick gave a deep growl.

"Finnick's the name," He responded, and Clawhauser's eyes widened at the depth of his voice. "And if you call me cute again, then biting yo' face off is my game."

"Right..." Clawhauser reluctantly responded as his almost terrified eyes stared at the Fennec Fox. "Then I'll add you to the list of mammals who I can't call 'cute' anymore."

Judy smiled at the cheetah, understanding the rather _sly_ reference he made from the time they first met. She still didn't let him call her cute. It was the same as her calling him savage or Nick sly; just rude and demeaning.

When they first began working together, Nick didn't get the memo her coworkers sent him to not call her cute. The first time he had used that crude adjective as he sat next to her waiting for the Chief to give them their orders she had brushed it off as typical banter. But once he started calling her that for weeks on end, she knew she needed to make an example of him. So one day when she was pulling the cruiser around to the front of the building she sped up a little more than she should've and deliberately ran over his tail he had carelessly left hovering just above the road as he talked with Officer Snarlof.

Once the shock from his injury fled and his yelping stopped, Nick managed to hobble over to the cruiser's door and lift himself up into the passenger's seat, both of his paws clutched to the flattened half of his tail. Judy had stared at him with a serious expression as he fretted over his wound, gently rubbing it as he whispered curses underneath his breath.

"Maybe you're not so cute, after all..." He mumbled as he continued to stroke his tail. She sent him an overly-huge smile in return and turned to accelerate the cruiser.

"You're catching on quick, rookie," She commented, and above the sound of the cruiser's roaring engine she heard him grumble in annoyance.

 _Ahhhh._ Judy humorously thought as she absently watched Finnick and Clawhauser casually talk with one another. _Such_ g _ood memories!_

"Now, then," Voltaire said as he wandered up to her from the other end of the counter and stared at her with one of his eyebrows cocked upward. "What do you think of this beverage?"

Judy leaned forward and studied the expensive-looking bottle of alcohol he was holding out towards her with interest.

"Vodka?" She asked , raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Most hard liquors weren't safe for rabbits to consume. Even a drop too much could send one into shock - or worse.

"There's no need to worry about getting poisoned, Ms. Hopps," Voltaire assured with a smile. "This is a unique blend of vodka, specially made for foxes. I've been serving it for years, and I can tell you that it doesn't hit smaller mammals as hard as some of the 'normal' vodkas out there. Though if you're still unsure, I can always mix it with some lighter brew to ease it's punch."

"That'd probably be for the best," Judy commented with a humored smile as Voltaire nodded and turned to grab another flask of alcohol. "Us rabbits aren't really known to take alcohol very well, you know."

"I am aware," The bartender politely said with his back turned to Judy as he carefully mixed the vodka and lighter beer together into a rabbit-sized glass.

"Hey, V?" Finnick called out from his seat, and Judy quickly turned her head toward the small fox. "What are ya makin' for bunny?"

" _'The Sailor's Seductress',_ " Voltaire answered without turning toward Finnick, his eyes focused downward as his paws quickly shook the newly-mixed beverage back and forth.

Judy raised an eyebrow at the drink's name. It sounded like something Nick would've had when he was with the vixens in the bar's back room!

"Ahhh!" Finnick exclaimed as he turned to Judy, his eyes alight. "That's a good choice."

Judy perked her ears in interest as the fox leaned forward in his stool, his muzzle only a few inches from her ear.

"It's what yo' lover fox would've had," He mumbled with a small smile, and Judy returned an artificial one of her own.

 _That sly devil!_ She thought in her head. _Once Nick's back, I'll show him who the_ real _'sailor's seductress' is! He's never coming here on his ow-_

Her thoughts stopped dead in their tracks.

 _He won't be able to come back here as Nick Wilde..._ She thought with melancholy after several blank moments.

She was still getting used to the world thinking her partner was dead. Even though it wasn't as bad as when she first found out, she still felt herself becoming frustrated whenever someone brought him up. She _wanted_ to tell Finnick - and Clawhauser and Voltaire, for that matter - that their long-time friend wasn't dead, even if that was directly violating the mayor's orders. But she knew she'd never tell Finnick - or anyone else - about Nick's existence. As the Chief had already told her on several occasions, _"Officer Wilde is dead in the eyes of the public. His existence is a state secret that cannot be revealed to_ anyone _under_ any _circumstances."_

Judy focused to the world around her again, the rebellious, frustrating, and melancholy thoughts about revealing Nick's existence gone. Finnick and Clawhauser were ordering their drinks from Voltaire while the vulpine bartender had set her own beverage a few inches from her paw resting on the counter. She picked up the rabbit-sized glass and stared down at the clear liquid inside. She wafted her paw above it, letting the intoxicating smell enter her nose. She didn't know her beers too well, but the drink Voltaire had made for her seemed so strong and appetizing that she could feel herself getting drunk off it's smell alone - and she liked that.

She raised the drink up to take a sip and quell her desirous thoughts, but before her lips could touched the liquid Voltaire turned and snapped his fingers at her.

"Don't drink that yet, Ms. Hopps," He politely ordered as he bent down to grab three cans out _Pred's Apple Ale_ from underneath the counter. "Tonight is Mr. Wilde's birthday, if I'm not mistaken. So the drinks are on me. But what's more, I propose a toast."

He picked up and opened one of the cans he had set on the counter before he raised it up in the air with a wide smile.

"A toast to our colleague, friend, and partner," He concluded. "So that we may remember him, no matter where he may be drinking now."

"I can toast to that," Judy agreed, lifting her rear our of the seat so she could hold her glass next to Voltaire's. She turned her head towards Finnick and Clawhauser as they picked up the other two cans on the counter and raised them to join her and the bartender.

"To a friend," Clawhauser said with a memory-filled smile.

"To a sly, devious, and crafty son-of-a-bitch," Finnick joked with a hard expression. Voltaire chuckled in amusement and Clawhauser scoffed in mock disgust at the Fennec fox. Judy sent them all a big smile.

"Here here!" She exclaimed, raising out of her seat a little higher so her glass was above her colleague's cans.

"Here here!" They all replied in unison, clinking their cans against her glass before they each downed a huge portion of their drink. Judy joined them and let the entire glass of astringent and ripe vodka pour down her throat. It's bitter taste hung in her mouth for what seemed like an eternity and it's intoxicating effect quickly took hold of her mind and body.

The rest of the night was a blur. There was laughing, drinking, talking, more drinking, and lots and lots of stories about Nick. It was comforting to finally figure out that she could now call Finnick and Voltaire her friends and not just her partners, and that, for the most part, Nick had always been the dumb fox she knew and now loved.

After all the alcohol was downed and the joyful conversations ended, Voltaire called her a Zuber to take her home. For whatever reason, though, she didn't give the driver her address. Instead she told the stag the address to Nick's warehouse. For reasons unknown to her, after a whole night of talking about her vulpine friend she just felt like she needed to be there - almost like it was her responsibility.

It must've been midnight by the time she finally arrived at his place. Her footsteps fell heavy on the concrete floor of the warehouse, the gentle humming of the generators the only other sound which echoed around the massive room. Yet she still had a grin on her face; she was too drunk was to be anything but happy and sleepy.

Nick's gigantic bed welcomed her with a cozy embrace as she collapsed on top of it. She closed her eyes and rolled into the middle of it, pulling the single blanket on the bed over her in the process. As gentle as she could be, she pressed her face against the mattress took in a huge sniff. At the smell of the familiar scent covering it an ecstatic expression made it's way onto her face.

 _Just like Nick..._ She sheepishly thought as sleep began to consume her. With a final roll she had achieved the maximum amount of comfort she could gather from the bed and sent her invisible partner across from her a loving smile. There was no place she'd rather be than right here.

The only thing which could've made her sleep better was if Nick was laying right beside her...

* * *

But on the other side of the city, there was a fox who wasn't sure he wanted that.

His reluctance wasn't caused by a lack of feeling. Quite the opposite, actually. It was caused by a single, overwhelming feeling of love he felt for a certain rabbit. But instead of bringing him comfort as love was supposed to, it was bringing him distress and unease.

Nick rolled over in the blackness, grumbling quietly, as he tried to find a comfortable position so he could rest his troubled head. He focused on his breathing, trying to finally catch the peaceful silence of sleep which had eluded for the past two years. Before, when he only had his memories to keep him company, sleep called out to him to embrace it. But he fervently denied it. Maybe it was karma, then, that when he was finally looking for it sleep was nowhere to be found.

All because of Judy. The sly bunny...

 _Stop!_ An angry voice in his head growled. _We've settled this matter, Nick! You don't have_ those _kinds of feelings for her!_

"You're right, crazy mammal in my head," Nick mumbled in response. He didn't love Judy Hopps. He had already decided that. He couldn't love any mammal, let alone the dumb bunny. The dumb bunny which had saved his pelt from a savage Manchas all those years ago. The dumb bunny which he had spent every single day of his police career getting to know as not just a friend, but as a partner. The dumb bunny who always had his back in any situation. The dumb bunny who gave his life more meaning than just scamming his fellow Zootopians out of a few dollars. The dumb bunny who loved him...

Nick rolled onto his back, loudly exhaling in the process.

"Yep," He loudly assured as he moved both of his paws to rest between his head and the cold, black floor.

"Totally don't love Carrots..." He finished, pushing his desirous thoughts about his partner away. He kept his eyes shut as his breathing began to slow. Sleep was beginning to take over...

 _That's right._ The angry voice calmly said. _Sleep now, Nick._ _You don't love her. You can't love her, or anyone else. Love only brings pain..._

 _But that's false._ A calm voice suddenly interrupted. _Love is dangerous, yes, but it's rewards vastly outweigh it's risks. It brings companionship and happiness to those that share it._

 _Lies!_ The angry voice aggressively countered. _Never forget your mother, Nick. The one mammal you loved; and look what happened to her!_ _She Died, and_ you _didn't even seem to care_ _! Do you even remember that? Doesn't that make you feel hopeless? Angry? Like you're suffering?_

 _Don't bring Brook into this._ The calm voice ordered. _Her death was sad, and that was because you loved her, yes. But that's what happens when love ends. It's what happens in life; but that doesn't mean you should abandon love altogether! You are still capable of love, Nick. Imagine feeling that with Judy. You saw it in her eyes - she's crazy for you! And you're crazy for her!_

 _Stop lying! Nick doesn't lov-_

 _You think about her all the time. You always have - ever since you met her!_

 _That doesn-_

 _You always look forward to being with her, and now that you know she has deep feelings for you I see that you want her as much as she wants you._

 _STO-_

 _Imagine it, Nick! You and Judy never apart again. The sly fox and the energetic rabbit in each other's arms, in each other's heads, in each other's hearts..._

 _NO-_

 _And not to mention in each other's beds..._

In one sudden moment, the illusion of rest lifted off of Nick and his eyes flew wide open in shock and realization. He moaned in distress as he moved his paws from out behind his head and pressed his velvet palms forcefully into his eye-sockets.

"Oh my god," He groaned in discomfort and awkwardness. "I'm in love with Carrots..."

* * *

 **Well, see you again in two weeks!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 10 - October 16

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 2 - October 31

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited September 21, 2016**

 **Footnotes:**

[1] - F***ing guess.

[2] - Vulch, language of foxes. Sounds like the Dutch language, but not to be confused with Verman, the language spoken by rodents and sounds like German.

[3] - Ursaguayan, pun on Uruguayan

[4] - Pun on Amy Winehouse. The 'hit' mentioned is the song _Back to Black._ I'm trying to be as foreshadowing as possible, so go listen to the song's lyrics.


	11. Chapter Ten - Shouts

**Great responses, again, for both of my stories. Good to see so many people reading the both of them!**

 **Here's the next chapter of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"How often does she do this?" Doctor Zdanskyi respectfully inquired as he leaned over Chief Bogo's shoulder to stare at the computer screen on the police chief's desk.

"Every morning," Chief Bogo flatly responded as he studied the live feed of _Cell One_ of the headquarter's Savage Mammal Containment Units. "And she says that shes not going to take any more weekends off until he's fully recovered."

"It's certainly good to see that she's so dedicated to helping her friend," Zdanskyi commented after a short moment of silence, "Have any officers become suspicious of her whereabouts in the mornings? She's been in there for a half hour already."

"No," The Chief answered, shaking his head. "Not yet, anyways. She's in there before the day shift officers arrive but after the night shift officers leave."

"Ahhh," Zdanskyi said, straightening himself and nodding. "That's smart, but she must be awake for at least eighteen hours a day. If she ever slips up and is caught going in there-"

"Then she can say that she's inspecting the cells," Chief Bogo sternly interrupted. "Nothing unexpected will happen with Officer Hopps. I have a plan for every possible problem that may come out of this situation."

Zdanskyi nodded, bringing up his wooden clipboard from his side and studying it for a moment.

"Well whatever she's doing seems to be helping Officer Wilde physically," The tiger commented, turning the page to look at a series of charts and tables. "His weight has stabilized and seems to be steadily increasing, which is great considering that he almost starved to death at Arctic One. His movements are also significantly less stiff than when I first monitored him, and his arctic coat seems to be beginning to shed."

Zdanskyi turned another page on his clipboard and studied it for a moment before he gave a heavy sigh.

"But I'm still worried about his heart," He continued, looking up to stare at the back of Chief Bogo's head as a cautious expression made it's way onto his face. "I trust that you read over the report about Trunklin?"

Chief Bogo grunted and gave a small nod.

"Yes, after Officer Hopps retrieved it from the archives. I would never want you to violate your contract with the city, Zdanskyi," The buffalo answered, still staring at the two officers on his laptop's screen.

"Good," Zdanskyi said, his cautious gaze fading as he looked back down at his clipboard. "Then as you know, Trunklin died when he was fifty-nine of heart complications. Now that would seem quite young to us evolved mammals, but the scientific community believes that fifty-nine was a very old age for Trunklin. The theory that me and my colleagues, whom I can assure you know nothing of Mr. Wilde, have been researching since Mr. Wilde's 'rediscovery' is that a primal mammal has the lifespan of it's un-evolved counterpart."

Chief Bogo finally turned away from the computer screen and stared at Zdanskyi, a tough and demanding expression making it's way onto his face.

"And you think this will happen to Wilde?" He asked as he frowned and raised an eyebrow in suspicious curiosity.

"It's a possibility," Zdanskyi answered, unimtimidated by the Chief. "When Trunklin became primal he was 30, so if he had received the 'proper' treatment for his primal mindset then he would've had around thirty years to recover until his un-evolved body began to threaten his life. The problem with Mr. Wilde is that he's 36 years old while the natural lifespan of an un-evolved fox is, at most, 7 years."

"So what you're saying is that Officer Wilde could _drop_ _dead_ at any moment?" Chief Bogo asked, his voice almost outraged, but Zdanskyi shook his head.

"Not at all, Bogo," He answered. "It's only a theory; Officer Wilde may not be affected by his age. I'm just saying that we need to watch him very closely."

"That's already a given," Chief Bogo sullenly grunted, turning back to the computer screen. In the time he was looking at Zdanskyi, Officer Hopps had slid off of the metallic chair on her side of the cell and wandered up to kneel just in front the glass separating her from her partner. Chief Bogo watched her place one of her paws against the thick surface, and a frown-and-smile combination made its way onto his face when he saw her mouth something along the lines of 'Love you' to the primal fox who had hidden himself underneath the cot across from her.

"Well," The chief exhaled as he slammed the laptop screen shut and turned to Zdanskyi with an annoyed smile. "In other news, it appears that Officer Hopps has developed _feelings_ for Officer Wilde."

"I can imagine so," Zdanskyi replied, looking up from his clipboard with an unsurprised expression. "They've been separated for years, thinking that they would never see each other again. It's only natural for them to desire each other. I've seen many friendships develop into something more once the pair realize how much they really mean to one another - but I will say that I've never seen any cross specie lines."

"Yes, but a romance between a rabbit and a fox who's _dead_ in the eyes of the world is not what we need," Chief Bogo explained, slowly pushing out of his office chair. "It's going to be difficult enough settling Officer Wilde back in the ZPD when the whole city thinks he's gone. A relationship with Officer Hopps would only further jeopardize the situation."

"But we don't know that Officer Wilde has the same feelings for her, and we also don't know if he wishes to return to the ZPD," Zdanskyi reassured, and Chief Bogo smiled.

"You're right," He commented, putting his arm around Zdanskyi's shoulders in a show of respect as he began to guide him out his office's door and into the deserted hallway just outside. "We don't know how Officer Wilde feels about his partner. We don't even know if he _can_ feel - he hasn't made any mental improvement since he arrived. But I know for certain that he will want to rejoin the ZPD after his recovery. Time will ultimately tell what will happen, though, and once he returns he can make the decision whether he wants Officer Hopps to be his partner or _his partner_."

" _If_ he returns," Zdanskyi politely but forcefully corrected. "You should know never to put too much faith in a hope, Chief."

"Of course, Doctor," Chief Bogo said with a small smile as he moved his eyes to look down at the tiger's clipboard. "I trust that all else is in order, then?"

Zdanskyi looked down at his clipboard and shook the Chief's arm off him as the two neared the elevator.

"It appears so," He eventually answered as they reached their destination. Chief Bogo pressed the down button for his feline counterpart and the doors opened immediately. Zdanskyi stepped through to stand in the middle of the elevator's wide interior, one of his paws reaching out to press the ground floor button while the other held his clipboard behind his back.

"Have a great day, Chief Bogo," He said in farewell. "I'll be back this time next week for Officer Wilde's next check-up, but if any developments occur in the time I'm gone contact me immediately."

"Of course, Doctor," Chief Bogo responded, raising a hoof to send a polite wave of farewell to the tiger as the elevator doors closed. As soon as the gentle humming of the elevator's descent began, the chief sighed and turned back to walk down the still deserted hallway, both of his hoofs tightly curled around one another as they hung behind his back. When he reached his office he shut the door behind him and fell back into his huge office chair with a grunt. It took him a moment to find a comfortable position, but he eventually settled on just leaning back into the chair's wooden frame. His eyes stared at his closed laptop for a moment before one of his hoofs moved to open up the screen again, and a small smile came onto his face as he stared at the two mammals still in the security feed.

"What am I going to do with you two?" He humorously grumbled as he slowly shook his head back and forth.

* * *

No matter what he did, Nick couldn't get the mammal sitting on the other side of the glass out of his thoughts. Only a few days prior his partner would have only been a visitor to the mysterious and abandoned parts of his mind which housed the mammals he loved, but now that his feelings for her were no longer suppressed it seemed like she would never leave them. It had been so long since someone had visited those lonely places. Love was, for the moment and much to his surprise, causing him much more harm than good. The forgotten feeling's sudden resurgence was quickly killing him. Not literally, of course, but sometimes figuratively can be just as intense as the real deal.

Nowadays whenever Judy was with him he couldn't be anything except an awkward wreck. He was still getting used to the fact that he and Carrots were _actually_ in love with one another. Just think about it! He, Nicholas P. Wilde, a snarky hustler-gone-cop with more than one dark page in his book loved and was loved by Judy Hopps, a hardworking country rabbit with an unnatural talent of beating the heck out of criminals thirty times her size. No one in Zootopia could've ever predicted that the both of them would eventually develop romantic feelings for each another - except for Clawhauser, although the overweight cheetah had simply had an amazing amount of luck when it came to his near-constant fantasizing about him and Judy ending up together. He'd probably be ecstatic if he ever found out...

Nick focused his eyes on the vision in front of him and gave an awkward and toothy smile as Judy interrupted his string of thoughts with a loud laugh.

"So then I said!" She managed to stutter out between her intense laughing. "-I said, 'Sir, I may be just a dumb rabbit, but at least I'm not some naked bison!'"

Nick awkwardly snickered at the story's punchline, having been too consumed with his thoughts to have bothered listening to the long and complicated tale of Judy arresting some corrupt politician shortly after his departure to Arctic One.

"Naked, huh?" He awkwardly repeated, his mouth getting ahead of his mind. "That's exactly how I want to see y-"

Nick quickly cut off his crude statement before he could take it any further, his eyes widening at what he had already said. He groaned in discomfort as he quickly snapped his eyes shut and brought his paws up from his sides to forcefully massage his forehead. He just had to go and say something even more stupid, didn't he? That's all he ever did. Go and make a situation even more awkward than it already was.

Nick gave an empty, embarrassed huff as his arms fell back to his sides and his eyes opened up to stare at the vision again. His plate was already full enough. The very last thing he needed was a glass of sexual tension on the side.

"Maybe It's a good thing Cottontail can't hear me," He mumbled as he watched Judy continue her hard laughs, but he quickly dismissed the thought. _Anything_ would be better than being trapped in his own mind. Even being a nervous wreck in front of the mammal he loved. She'd probably find it funny, seeing the restless and anxious Nick Wilde instead of her typically calm partner!

 _Wait_. Nick thought, his eyes widening in realization as his paws fell into his ragged officer's uniform's pockets. _She's my partner..._

Maybe he had been over-complicating his feelings for her these past few days. He was acting like he was talking to the Judy Hopps he didn't love - the officer he left behind in Zootopia when he 'died' and the mammal who was no more than a friend. Maybe to end his awkwardness all he needed to do was to 'let it go', as the chief had always said. Let the old Nick Wilde drift into obscurity and usher in the new one who was in love with a certain bunny.

"Hm!" Nick warmly whispered, a pleased grin coming onto his face as he slowly shook his head back and forth. "Nick, you dumb, dumb fox..."

Finally, once Judy's hysterical laughing degraded into a series of erratic giggles, Nick straightened himself and sent the rabbit in the vision a devious smile.

"There's no easy way to put this, sweetheart," Nick suggestively teased, not feeling embarrassed or awkward like before. "But once I'm out of this cell, I'm _definitely_ seeing you naked."

Nick ignored the fact that his partner couldn't hear him and instead focused on her smiling face as her string of giggles thinned out and she came to stare at his Primal Self.

"That's the only case you missed while you were on your trip," She commented as she crossed her legs and clutched her paws together. "After that, the Chief put me on desk duty for the rest of the month because of my 'insubordination'. But that bison needed to be put in prison - we can't have criminals in our government, can we now?"

"Well..." Nick answered, shrugging and motioning to himself. "Technically I'm paid by the city, aren't I?"

"I only spent a week on desk duty, though," Judy continued as her head tilted downward to stare at the ground and her smile shrunk, oblivious that her partner had answered her rhetorical question. "When the city found out about your death it was like time stopped. The chief gave me a two-month paid leave so I could recover, and the entire department flooded me with flowers and condolences. It was like I was getting married or something; but just a whole lot more depressing."

Judy loudly exhaled and looked back up at Nick, her eyes full of suppressed memories but her smile back at it's full extent.

"But let's not dwell on that," She said, shifting in her chair. "Have I ever told you about the time I went onto your phone?"

"No..." Nick cautiously answered, his face becoming hot. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with his partner browsing through his phone like it was no big deal. There were some very _dirty_ pictures of him on there. She needed to be careful if she wanted to keep her innocence intact.

"I don't think I have," Judy answered as she pulled a familiar phone out of her pocket and swiped and touched it with both her paws for several seconds.

"Sooo." She eventually said, her paws becoming still as they gripped her phone and a mirthful smile coming onto her face. "I had just left work and was walking back to my apartment when I decided to check Furbook. But when I unlocked what I thought was _my_ phone, it turns out that somefox had left his ... _private_... tabs open."

Nick felt his eyes grow huge, his tail and ears become limp, and his cheeks flushing with red as embarrassment flooded every inch of him.

"I expected you to watch that kind of stuff," Judy humorously acknowledged, shrugging with one of her paws held out to her side. "I mean, who doesn't? But I thought you'd at least have the decency to hide it when you gave your phone to me!"

"Heh!" Nick awkwardly chuckled, a nervous smile coming onto his face. He gave a large, awkward shrug and both his paws raised out in front of him.

"What can I say, Carrots?" He stiffly asked, his nervous smile remaining on his face for a few seconds too long.

"Anyways..." Judy continued, looking down at the phone again as her raised paw lowered. "That embarrassing experience kept me away from your phone until you returned. That's when I felt comfortable enough to go on it again. But you just have a knack for making me feel uncomfortable. _This_ is the sight I was greeted with the second time I went onto your phone."

Judy turned the phone toward the glass and Nick cautiously peered closer to the vision. At the sight of the image on his phone's screen Nick became more embarrassed than he thought physically possible.

"Care to explain, Nicholas?" Judy inquired with a devious smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I- I-" Nick clumsily stuttered out as he quickly looked away from his partner. He didn't feel like he could see her right now. Even _he_ was embarrassed by the image of him in an overly tight and tiny swimsuit. Why had he left that exposing image on his phone so anyone who picked it up could see it? Why'd he have to be such an idiot!

"Come on, Nick. Why's this on your phone?" Judy curiously but slyly asked, leaning forward in her chair. Nick's eyes hesitantly darted back to the vision, his voice still gone and his mind still panicked. But as he continued to stare at the crafty bunny on the other side of the glass, a smile formed on his face and he gave an empty huff of laughter. He couldn't stay embarrassed forever, and his partner's desire to pry into everything he owned was just one of the many parts of her character he loved.

He opened his mouth to speak and mouthed the words 'sly bunny' to Judy, but no sound came from him and his ears became strained, as if his sense of hearing was being transferred to somewhere else. It felt like his whole head was becoming numb. He could still see the vision and surrounding darkness, feel the cold, almost metallic touch of the black beneath his feet and smell the overwhelming scent of him which had built up over the years, but his other senses weren't working correctly. Something was definitely off...

" _Sslyy Buunyy-_ " A crackly voice copied a moment after he had mouthed the same words. Judy's eyes widened at the familiar voice and her mouth became agape as her extended arm with the phone in it's paw slowly lowered toward the floor. Nick copied her expression exactly. That wasn't his voice talking. Yet at the same time it was. It was the voice which hadn't uttered a word for over two years. His true voice - not the voice he heard while he talked to himself in his head, but the, real, bonafide thing.

"What did you just say?" Judy asked shocked, the phone in her paw falling to the floor. Unlike before, Nick heard her voice crystal clear. It no longer sounded like it was being repeated through the vision but instead coming through his own ears.

" _Ssly bunnyy-_ " Nick repeated a little less scratchy, equally shocked at his sudden leap in progress as his partner was. He continued to stand in the darkness, stunned, even as his partner flew off her chair and onto the concrete floor. A huge, relieved smile began to form on her face and she pressed both her paws up against the glass.

"Sweet cheese and crackers!" She excitedly whispered, her voice growing louder and happier as she continued to talk. "You're talking, Nick! You're actually speaking! This is so important! Your first real progress!"

Judy tilted her head as she leaned closer to the glass to stare into Nick's Primal Self's sullen eyes, and when her gaze connected with Nick's through the vision Nick began to feel the shock ebb from him and be replaced with an overwhelming feeling of excitement and happiness.

"Can you understand me, Nick?" Judy eagerly asked, and Nick sent the rabbit a large, toothy smile.

"I'll never understand you, Fluff," He sarcastically mouthed, but all his Primal Self did was let loose a deep growl.

" _Nevvr Unndersstan, Fluff-_ " The beast managed to respond without a grin just like Nick had hoped it wouldn't do. Regardless, Judy's smile widened at the answer.

"For turnip's sake, Nick!" She excitedly said, turning around to quickly scramble for the cell phone she had let fall onto the concrete floor. "Chief needs to hear this!"

She turned back to the glass once she had the cell phone, and Nick watched the vision intently as she swiped the phone open and began to tap on the screen. After a few silent moments, Judy exasperated in annoyance and let both her paws holding the phone drop to the floor.

"Are you kidding me? It's dead!" Judy regretfully exclaimed, the light in her eyes dying down for a moment. But within a second they were just as alive as they were before, and she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small but familiar, orange object.

 _The Carrot pen!_ Nick humorously thought, his eyes lighting up as he stared at it. _I completely forgot about that_. _I'll be damned if it still works after what it's been through._

"Rule number forty-six of the ZPD handbook: 'If needed, always carry a secondary device to record conversations with'," Judy eagerly recited as she pressed a button on the carrot pen.

"Can you still speak, Nick?" She asked, her voice still filled with excitement and passion but lacking the emotion which it held before. It sounded just like it did when she was interrogating criminals! Nick watched the vision shift as his Primal Self backed further underneath the cot and felt the skin underneath his fur chill as his Primal Self pressed up against the concrete wall.

"You betcha, Carrots," He mouthed in response, trying to make his voice sound just as joyful as it did in his head.

" _Yezs,"_ Was all his Primal Self said, and Nick could only feel a little disappointed at his apparent restricted communication with the outside world. But nothing could damper his spirits right now. He was finally talking to his partner!

"How are you feeling, Nick?" Judy inquired, and Nick responded with a shrug and an innocent expression.

"Better than I've been in years," He truthfully mouthed.

" _Betderr,_ " His Primal Self rasped out, his voice still scratchy yet definitely clearer.

"What's it like?" Judy asked, but shook her head when she realized how vague the question was. "Let me rephrase that. How does it feel being primal?"

"Different than what you'd expect," Nick answered, pausing for a moment as he stroked his chin with his paw and a devious smile came onto his face.

"Although having your body being controlled by a mammal that wants to kill anything that moves is definitely a downside," He sarcastically pointed out as he pointed at his partner.

" _Diffrrent. Dowwnsidez,_ " His Primal Self answered, and Judy gave a curt nod.

"Your answers are quite short," She noted, leaning a little closer to the glass while a hopeful but worried expression made its way onto her face. "Can you try saying something longer?"

Nick stood in silence for a moment, trying to think of a snarky comment to respond with. In the end he settled on an old phrase which he knew would stir his partner's interests and emotions.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart," He responded, his eyes suddenly clouded with memories.

" _It'sz_ c _alled a husstle, Sweetheaart,_ " His Primal Self repeated, his voice not flat like before but instead holding a twinge of the happiness which Nick had put in his own voice. Judy smiled at his Primal Self and pressed her free paw against the glass while her other paw pressed a button on the carrot pen, stopping the recording.

"Dumb fox," She lovingly said, a twinge of worry still present in her voice. "That's not what I wanted to hear."

Nick sent Judy a smile filled with as much love as he could draw out of his scrawny body and pressed his paw up against the vision, right on top of her paw.

"Love you, Carrots," He affectionately remarked.

" _Love, Carrrotsz_ ," His Primal self repeated with a little affection in his voice. The worry fled from Judy's eyes at the words and her smile grew exponentially.

"Love you too, Nick," She finished, her eyes still locked with his through the vision. Nick stared into her amethysts, admiring their truly stunning beauty, and his thoughts were once again solely focused on her - not that they hadn't been before. He was finally beginning to recover after spending so much time away from life. He could speak again, which meant that his Primal Self was beginning to lose the battle for his body! Who knew what would come tomorrow! Nick sent Judy a final, loving smile.

The countdown to his freedom - and to Carrots, for that matter - had begun.

* * *

 **Goodbye.**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 11 - October 31

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 2 - October 31

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited September 21, 2016**


	12. Chapter Eleven - Future

**Chapter 10 received far more reviews than I ever could've hoped. Thank you all so much for the support!**

 **I'm not going to dilly-dally on many words in these description anymore. Hey, it's not them that you've come to read, right?**

 **Here's Chapter 11. Enjoy!**

* * *

Judy pushed the huge, metal door which led into her partner's cell shut, a radiant smile still evident on her face. Nothing could bring down her spirits today or any day from now, because after years of heartbreak and almost three weeks of silence her partner was finally beginning to recover!

It had only been a few minutes since Nick had spoken to her for the first time in _years_. He had uttered only simple sentences, no more than four or five words in length, and aside from moving his muzzle and flicking his ears his actions still appeared to be primal. But that wasn't worrying her too much. Her partner was consciously speaking to her! That was the best news ever! Even more, one of the simple little phrases he had said was truly magical.

 _"Love, Carrots."_

Judy closed her eyes and repeated the sentence over and over again in her head, her heart bursting with affection for the fox who had said it to her.

 _He loves me!_ Was all she could think. _He loves me, he loves me, he loves me!_

There wasn't any need for her to wonder about what would happen if he didn't share the same feelings she felt for him - because he _loved_ her! Once he gained control of the rest of his body and mind they could finally be reunited - never separated by any physical or mental barriers again. The only thing left for her to do was wait. Today Nick had spoken to her. Tomorrow he might stand up straight, and for all she knew by the end of the month he could be one hundred percent better!

"Come on, Judy," Judy told herself, moving to lean against the cool, metallic door in an attempt to calm herself down. "You've already waited two years for Nick. You can wait another few weeks for him."

Judy pushed herself off the door and began to walk down the bleak, concrete hallway with an extra skip in her step. It'd be hard, but she could wait a few more weeks for her dumb fox.

 _But in the meantime..._ Judy thought, her paw falling into her pocket and fumbling with a small, carrot-shaped object inside. _The_ _Chief and Doctor Zdanskyi will want to see this. If they're both still here._

Judy reached the end of the hallway and pulled her access card out from her back pocket, but before she could jump up and slide it down the access port at least a yard and a half up the wall a bright, toothy smile came onto her face and she exasperated in a feeling of joyful defeat.

 _Nick loves me..._ She warmly thought, her mind still reeling from the revelation. But before she could dwell too much on the experiences that she and her partner would one day share the serious and organized side of her brain kicked in and she shook her head and leaped up into the air, swiping her card and unlocking the door with a loud _click_ _!_ What she and Nick would do once they were together again weren't thoughts meant for work.

She'd have to save those for her break time...

The door to the outside world slowly cracked open, and Judy stepped through the doorway once it was open enough, thankful that she didn't have to heave open the massive metallic object with her own two paws. Being small, as it turned out, did have some advantages around the office - one of which was how any secured door in the headquarters could read that she was a rabbit from her access card and proceed to open itself on its own volition.

Once Judy was through the doorway she turned down the hall, aiming to meet with Chief Bogo before the day's work made him unavailable. But before she could even take a step away from the doorway she was stopped by a great spectacle in front of her. There seemed to be mammals everywhere, each one of them wearing the standard ZPD uniform and running back and forth carrying stacks of papers or coffee or the classic manila folders which were constantly spread throughout the headquarters like a plague. The sounds were just as active as the sights, with mammals shouting to one another and a near-endless ringing of phones in the background accompanying them. All Judy could do was watch the chaos in surprise. It looked like any old workday at the ZPD.

"But this early in the morning?" Judy mumbled to herself, pulling her phone out of her pocket and holding down its power button. After several seconds all her phone did was flash a symbol of an empty battery, and Judy slid the phone back into her pocket and suppressed a grumble. She'd forgotten that it had died when she was with Nick.

"Judy?" A curious voice exclaimed in confusion and surprise, and Judy nearly jumped out of her fur at the sudden, high-pitched exclamation which rose above the din coming from the cubicles. She turned toward where the sound had come from, perking her ears in the process, and was greeted with a massive, spotted mammal who was absent-mindedly dunking a donut into his cup of coffee over and over again.

"Clawhauser!" Judy exclaimed, her voice full of friendliness. "It's good to see you! Why is everyone here so early?"

"Judy, what have you been doing?" Clawhauser asked, ignoring her question and bending down to fret over her like he was a mother and she was his kit. She pushed his huge paw off her, a curious expression making its way onto her face as she cocked out her hip and rested her paw on it. What the heck was Clawhauser talking about? Everyone in the ZPD knew she inspected the cells before assignments were handed out.

"Inspecting the cells," She politely answered, raising her other paw out to her side. "What else?"

Clawhauser shook his head, not accepting her answer, and stood back up, reaching into his coffee cup and pulling out his now soggy donut.

"Okay, you were _not_ inspecting the cells," Clawhauser said, staring down at her with huge eyes twinged with curiosity. "I was one of the first officers here and your knapsack was on your desk when I arrived, so you've been 'inspecting cells' for at least five or six hours!"

"Five or six hours?" Judy slowly repeated, her eyes widening in shock. Had she really been in there that long? It didn't feel like that at all! But thinking back on it, how long _had_ she talked to Nick for?

Judy groaned, her ears falling behind her head as she moved both her paws to cover her face. She _had_ been in there for several hours, and as a result she had missed role call and assignments and looked like a disoriented idiot right now. If she had stayed in there for any longer she could've jeopardized Nick's whole recovery!

"Chief's going to kill me," She moaned, her paws falling back to her sides, and Clawhauser vigorously nodded at her statement.

"He wasn't the nicest mammal when he was giving out assignments today," He commented, taking a large bite from his donut. "He kept on grumbling about how you were taking your sweet time to inspect the cells, and some of the officers told me that he even mentioned insubordination! But that's not what's really getting on my tail."

Clawhauser shifted his weight onto his right paw and leaned around Judy, staring down the hallway through the cracked open metal door which lead to her partner's confinement cell.

"What _does_ get on my tail is that you spent so long 'inspecting the cells'," Clawhauser commented, his curious gaze turning down towards Judy, and she could feel her face heating up as his eyes scoured her and his nose carefully sniffed the air for any information. "I'll ask again; what were you doing in there, Judy?"

Judy sent Clawhauser a nervous, toothy smile as her small body straightened to stand at attention and her foot extended out behind her and with a massive push slammed the metal door shut.

 _Ben's starting to get suspicious. She_ frantically thought as she continued to look up at her feline counterpart. _Come on, Judy, you can fix this situation. Just make something up..._

"I was- um..." She awkwardly began, her gaze falling to look eye-level at Clawhauser's knees. She couldn't think of a good excuse right now!

"I was- there was a crack in one of the cell's pipes!" She finally blurted out, raising up on her toes and looking back up at Clawhauser's face as she raised one of her paws and pointed a finger in the air to emphasize her point. "So I fixed it!"

Clawhauser just stared down at her, his demeanor looking unconvinced. Judy's awkward smile grew the longer she stared up at him. That was the absolute _worst_ excuse she could've ever come up with. Why couldn't she just make up lies as well as Nick could? It'd make situations like this a heck of a lot easier.

"There was a crack in a pipe?" Clawhauser asked, and Judy's raised paw fell stiffly back to her side as she profusely nodded. "And you fixed it?"

'With my own two paws!" Judy eagerly replied, and Clawhauser continued to look down at her for several seconds until he burst into laughter, clenching his eyes shut as he tried not to spill his coffee and waving his free paw downward. Judy joined in the laughing as her eyes widened, not understanding why her feline friend was taking amusement in her fabricated story.

"Oh, Judy!" Clawhauser joyfully exclaimed between laughs. "Here I thought you were hiding in a cell because you didn't want to work, but you were really making the headquarters a better place! You'll fix anything broken, won't you, you eager little bunny?"

"You bet!" Judy rhetorically answered between her own forced chuckles. "Making the world a better place one pipe at a time!"

Clawhauser only laughed harder at her joke and turned to walk down the hallway, his paws taking him towards the headquarter's common room and his desk.

"I'll talk to you after work today, Officer Hopps!" He gleefully called out over his shoulder as he dunked the uneaten half of his donut into his coffee cup.

"Yep!" Judy called out, sending him a quick salute as she quickly marched across the hallway and into the rows of cubicles across from it. "Talk to you then!"

 _If the Chief doesn't make me work overtime for the next month._ She silently added, beginning to stress over what had just happened. If _anything_ else had gone a little differently these past few moments then Nick's continued existence would've been on every website on the internet. Had she exited from his cell a little later then maybe an officer who's curiosity would've gotten the better of him or her would've entered the restricted area and found her partner locked away inside. That would've been egregious- she'd probably end up losing her position on the force! And what would happen to Nick?

Judy suppressed a shiver at that thought as she rounded a cubicle's corner. He'd probably be sent away to some far-flung research facility where he'd spend the rest of his life. She'd never get to see him again...

Suddenly, a realization dawned on Judy, changing her entire mindset from joyful and awkward to deathly serious in an instant. She wasn't just protecting Nick's existence for the mayor's sake anymore - she was protecting his existence for _him_. So that once this whole chaotic situation passed they could be together again. It was a little selfish of her, true, but she didn't ask for much in this world. Judy clenched her mouth in solidarity, a nervous expression no longer plaguing her face and instead replaced with seriousness. She could _never_ be seen leaving that room again.

Finally, after what seemed like another six hours, Judy turned a final corner and walked into her completely over-sized cubicle. She launched herself up the side of her chair and scrambled up to stand on the top of it, ignoring her knapsack hanging off the chair's back as it began to sway back and forth. With a heavy, defeated sigh her head fell onto her barren desk as a small feeling of guilt nudged itself into her thoughts.

Clawhauser was right. The Chief was going to kill her over and over again.

A large _thud!_ and a huge rush of air right in front of her drew Judy's attention away from the seat of her chair she was blankly staring at and up to her desk. A massive pile of papers which hadn't been there a moment ago was now ominously towering over her.

"Officer Hopps," A gruff voice began with what sounded like a deliberate twinge of false elation. "It's good to see you back after your long absence."

Judy turned around in her chair and was met with a familiar, bovine face with one eyebrow cocked in interest and which demanded an explanation.

"Chief Bogo!" Judy delightfully exclaimed as she turned toward her superior and sent him an awkward and apologetic smile and politely clasped her paws together in front of her. "I can explain."

"Please do, Officer Hopps," Chief Bogo continued as his gaze burned into hers and he stepped toward her chair to menacingly tower over her, his arms crossed as they rested against his chest.

"There was a leak," Judy explained, her nervous smile only increasing in size. "One of the pipes leading to one of the cells was leaking, so I decided that I should repair it. It just took a little longer than I was expecting."

Chief Bogo took a moment to blankly scan Judy's face, and in that time embarrassment began to flare up inside of her small body again. What an absolutely terrible excuse. She was lucky that Clawhauser was so gullible, but the chief was a completely different story. Regardless if he knew the true reason for her un-punctuality, she'd consider herself lucky if he let her off with only the massive pile of paperwork he had let fall onto her desk.

After a few more tense, silent seconds Chief Bogo finally gave Judy her punishment with an angry snort and a large, furrowed frown.

"Hopps," He threateningly grumbled, his voice progressively becoming louder and more aggressive until Judy swore that every mammal within a three block radius could hear him. "The pipes were leaking? Are you trying to make a joke? Because it isn't working. I don't care if you were fixing the city's plumbing or doing something which you shouldn't have, whatever you were doing back there I never want you doing again. What kind of example are you setting for the younger officers if you run off and hide during assignments? If I _ever_ catch you skipping your duties from now, then we're going to have a very long talk. Is that understood?"

Judy gave the chief a defeated nod as her ears fell behind her head in embarrassment and she became aware of the sudden silence which had taken control of the busy workplace around her. She could feel every pair of eyes in the room focusing in onto her cubicle.

"Yes Chief," She answered, not daring to move her eyes off of the chief's.

"Good," The chief responded, his voice calm and serious. "I don't have time for any more of your deviations. You're going to take those files home and upload them to the database. Consider it homework. For the meantime, you're on patrol with Officer Wolfenstein. Understood?"

"Yes Chief," She answered again, and Chief Bogo nodded. He turned to look above the walls of her cubicle and at the faces of the mammals that Judy knew were inevitably staring at him.

"Back to work!" He ordered, and almost at once the din of phones ringing, mammals talking, and papers being filed returned. The chief spent an extra moment looking around the room in every possible direction before he ducked down to kneel just in front of Judy, his body hidden from view and expression hard but lined with curiosity.

"What. Happened?" He broadly mouthed, and Judy's ears perked in interest. She knew that the conversation would eventually end up about her partner again.

"He talked," She mouthed in response, and she couldn't help herself as a small feeling of excitement began to pulse up in her chest again. Chief Bogo's eyes widened slightly at her and he leaned in to study her face, his frown becoming unhumored and stringent.

"Talked?" He repeated, and Judy brusquely nodded as her paw fell into her pocket and pulled out her carrot pen. She reluctantly held it out toward the chief, a small part of her not wanting to let it go, but as the chief's hoof expectantly reached out she gently placed it in his hoof. His eyes didn't move off the small object for several seconds, and as Judy watched him a small smile came onto her face. The chief's gaze was becoming easy and almost thankful. She had always known that there was a kind-hearted mammal underneath all of that thick skin.

When the Chief's eyes finally moved off of the pen and onto Judy's smiling face he gave an annoyed grumble and straightened himself, dropping the carrot pen into his pocket and holding both of his paws behind his back.

"Get to work, Hopps," He commanded, stepping aside so that the exit from her cubicle wasn't blocked. With that the smile faded from Judy's face and she sent her superior a brief nod as she slid off her chair and quickly made her way out into the hallway just outside of her cubicle, an extra skip still in her step.

* * *

There were mammals coming from every possible direction. Each one was an individual atom of H2O, but instead of making up a sea of water they instead made up an ocean of mammals. And Judy's job was to make sure every one of them was obeying the law.

In reality, it sounded a lot more difficult than it actually was. After years of patrolling, she knew exactly who to look for in the crowds of mammals passing by her parked cruiser. Anybody making too much noise or who was travelling with a large group of mammals or their family was automatically off the list. If someone wanted to commit a felony, they'd try to be as inconspicuous as possible. The pairs of mammals were next, since scammers and pickpockets often worked in duos, but as Judy looked over all of the pairs of mammals she could spot she didn't find any of them to be out of the ordinary. Because she didn't have the ability to look over every mammal she could see from her cruiser, the last division of mammals Judy kept an eye on were ones that just looked out of place.

On her side of the four way intersection she had parked the cruiser on that included just two. The first was a lioness in a grey work dress with a briefcase at her side and who looked stressed and nervous as she waited to cross the street. But as Judy continued to watch her she couldn't believe that she was doing anything wrong, aside from being late for some kind of business meeting.

The next mammal on Judy's list was far more suspicious than the first. He was a beaver donning nothing more than a stained white tank top and a pair of denim shorts standing just outside of a bakery. His paws were in his pockets and his head was systematically scanning the sidewalk for any mammals approaching him. Judy watched him for several minutes, her brain trying to decipher what he was trying to accomplish. He certainly looked like a criminal, but looks were always deceiving. She couldn't spot any large bulges in his pants pockets aside from the ones created by his paws, which meant that he probably wasn't armed with a weapon, but Judy wasn't going to take any chances. The very least she'd do was go up and ask him what he was waiting for.

Judy's paw moved off the steering wheel and onto her door handle, but before she could open it a furry, orange object obscured the beaver from view and caught her attention. It was a fox's tail, but not just any fox. Judy could swear she was looking at Nick, only much, _much_ older.

The fox was wearing a pair of grey khakis and a massive jacket made of artificial fur which Judy was surprised he could stand in the late August sun. His eyes were just as piercing as Nick's and his muzzle was almost completely grey with age. He was walking down the street, coming towards Judy from across the intersection, his hands motioning around him as he talked to a white wolf wearing a black turtleneck walking beside him. As he threw one of his paws up into the air in some kind of outraged motion a bright reflection caught Judy's attention, and she leaned forward in her seat to see what it was.

Before she could spot the reflective object the sound of a car door being opened entered her straightened ears, and she quickly turned away from the fox and towards the passenger seat.

"You would not _believe_ how many mammals there were in there," Officer Wolfenstein commented as he stepped into the car, one of his paws carrying a tray with two _StarBucks_ coffee cups on it. Judy didn't pay much attention to the wolf's comment and turned back to the street, but much to her disappointment the fox and his counterpart were nowhere to be seen, most likely swept away by a herd of elk that had just crossed the street.

She stifled a sigh and fell back into her seat, letting her arms fall from the steering wheel and rest on her arm rests.

"Here," Officer Wolfenstein said as he shut his car door shut and put on his seat belt with a single paw, his other holding out the tray towards Judy. Judy sent the black wolf a smile as she took one of the cups off the tray.

"Thanks Officer Wolfenstein," She thanked after she took a careful sip of the boiling drink. "I'll pay you back after work."

"Don't bother," Officer Wolfenstein said with a downward wave of his paw as his sunglassed gaze swept over the opposite side of the street. "After what the chief put you through this morning, you need something to fire up your engine. Spot any suspicious mammals?"

Judy nodded and sat up in her chair, her paws once again returning to the steering wheel.

"There's a shady looking beaver on my side," She commented without turning away from her suspect. "And a minute ago there was a fox and a wolf together, but I don't think they were up to anything bad."

"A fox?" Officer Wolfenstein curiously asked with a twinge of interest, turning towards Judy. "What'd he look like?"

"Almost like Officer Wilde, only much older," Judy answered as she watched the beaver pull a cigarette from his pocket and light it. "He was wearing a fur coat and the wolf next to him was wearing a black turtleneck. Just keep an eye out for the both of them."

"Will do," Officer Wolfenstein said, turning back to monitor his side of the sidewalk. Judy returned to scanning the sidewalk as well, keeping a careful eye on the beaver, but an annoying sound prevented her from focusing in on any other potential criminals.

Officer Wolfenstein was anxiously tapping his foot against the floor of the cruiser, a sound which, while small, was just loud enough for her sensitive hearing to pick up and just high-pitched enough to distract her from the job at hand. There was something strange about his tapping, as if he was nervous sitting with her alone in the car. Judy turned towards him with a reassuring smile as she picked up her coffee cup and took a small sip from it.

"Something on your mind, officer?" Judy asked, and Officer Wolfenstein's ears perked up at her question. He let loose a huge sigh before he answered, and Judy took another drink from her cup as he turned toward her with a troubled expression.

"I wanted to thank you," Officer Wolfenstein said, and Judy frowned and tilted her head at his gratitude as her coffee cup came down to rest in her lap.

"For what?" She asked, and Officer Wolfenstein shrugged.

"I don't know," He answered, giving a forced huff of nervous laughter as he turned to look back down the busy street. "Everything, I guess. Before I joined the force I was working twelve hours a day down at the docks, just moving shipments back and forth. When the Night Howler Incident happened I lost my job and didn't really do anything for a few years. That's when I heard about how much you and Officer Wilde were helping the city, so I studied my tail off and got into the academy. You see, I also have a partner who's not my species, and she thought it'd be great if I joined the force so I could work alongside you two."

"That's great!" Judy exclaimed, reaching forward to put her cup in the cup holder between her and Officer Wolfenstein. She didn't know that other, or at least _an_ other, inter-species couple existed. "We can always use more officers in the ZPD. May I ask what species your girlfriend is?"

"She's an Oribi," Wolfenstein answered, a comforted smile coming onto his face. "She works as one of the mayor's aides up at city hall. We met at a mutual friend's wedding back in 2010 and we've been together ever since."

"That's so sweet!" Judy warbled, clutching her hands together as she raised them onto the seat belt strapped across her chest and let her ears fall behind her head. Officer Wolfenstein awkwardly chuckled at her compliment.

"Thanks," He warmly said, turning to look at her. "It's comforting to know that we're not the only inter-species couple the city's ever seen. Speaking of which, how's Officer Wilde's recovery going?"

Judy's heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened to the size of an elephant's ears as she continued to stare up at Officer Wolfenstein's sunglasses. How the _hell_ did he know about her partner? Did he sneak in and find him? Smell a trace of his scent on her uniform?

"How do you know about Nick?" She asked, her voice as cold as an arctic gale and the smile on her face blown away. Officer Wolfenstein's expression became surprised and quizzical as he observed the hostile expression she now bore.

"I was there, at Arctic One, when we found him," Officer Wolfenstein answered with a slight tilt of his head. "Don't you remember?"

A memory began to play itself in the forefront of Judy's thoughts, and as she watched it she shook her aggressiveness off and sent Officer Wolfenstein an apologetic gaze. She _did_ remember him, but more importantly she remembered what he gave to her.

"You returned the carrot pen I gave to Nick," She genteelly recounted, her ears hanging limply behind her head. "I'm very sorry. I owe you a great debt."

"Don't worry about it," Officer Wolfenstein said, brushing off her rude behaviour with a shrug as he turned back to monitor his side of the street. "I'm sure if my partner was where yours was right now I'd be short tempered as well."

"Thanks for your understanding," Judy politely responded as she turned back to her side of the street, her paw reaching down and grabbing her coffee cup.

"And to answer your question," She continued as she slowly rolled her cup in circles in her paw. "Officer Wilde's doing great. He spoke to me today."

" _Spoke?_ " Officer Wolfenstein repeated in surprise, his eyes widening underneath his sunglasses. "What did he say?"

"Not much," Judy answered, taking a small drink from her cup and letting the now lukewarm water sit in her mouth for a moment before swallowing it. "A few juvenile remarks, just like his old self, not to mention one or two 'Love You's."

"That's great news!" Officer Wolfenstein joyfully exclaimed as he picked up his own coffee cup and downed a large portion of it. "If I may ask, what's your plan when he's fully recovered?"

Judy stopped the coffee cup approaching her lips as she began to think about how to answer Officer Wolfenstein's question. She hadn't really thought about what would happen once Nick was better. I mean, she had had _some_ ideas, but it wasn't like she had a master plan all set out.

According to Chief Bogo, even Mayor Lionheart and the city council were having a difficult time on deciding what to do with her partner. One day after all the other officers had gone home the chief had called her up to his office to give her a brief summary on what was going at city hall. In short, he had heard nothing but hushed whispers and rumors coming from the legislative heaven. The only thing the mammals under Lionheart seemed they _could_ decide on was that Officer Nicholas P. Wilde was dead, and that to protect their employer's reputation and the city he had spent so long serving there would need to be some kind of cover-up. That worried Judy. A cover-up could range from anywhere from an identity change to relocation - both of which didn't sit well with her.

So, put it all in perspective, Judy had no idea what would become of her and her love interest once he was back to normal. The only thing she was sure about was that once they were back together, they'd be _back together_ , and that's what mattered most.

"We'll be together again," Judy answered, turning towards Officer Wolfenstein with a smile full of the purest form of emotion she could show. The black wolf just smiled, not feeling the need to say any words, and Judy turned back to stare at the sidewalk, an overwhelming feeling of glee taking control of her thoughts.

The first thing she and Nick were going to do when he was better was sit on his couch and watch a movie, since they had only ever done that at her house with her ridiculously small TV set. It annoyed her that Nick never invited her over to his warehouse when his TV was much, much larger than hers. After the movie, they'd both have a bite to eat. Nothing special, maybe just some carryout from a local restaurant. But then came the night's climax - literally.

 _Or should I call it dessert?_ Judy thought, closing her eyes and shuddering at the romantic, and not all physical, moments playing out in her head. She couldn't wait for that day to come around...

"Officer Hopps," Officer Wolfenstein said, his voice filled with a twinge of amusement as he interrupted her daydreaming. "It looks like your beaver's up to something."

Judy sat up straight in her chair and gripped the steering wheel with both paws as her eyes swept over her side of the sidewalk. In the time she had spent thinking about things she probably shouldn't have been thinking about while she was on duty, the beaver had pulled a black, sock-like mask over his head and was opening up the door to the bakery he was standing outside of.

Judy turned the keys to the cruiser and ignited the engine, her body suddenly filled with determination and an urge to arrest the beaver. She'd have to wait until after work and after her extra paperwork was filled out to think about her partner again.

"Have you done this before, Officer Wolfenstein?" She rhetorically asked, turning towards the black wolf with a raised eyebrow. The wolf stared down at her, a smile coming onto his face.

"I've been on the force for two years, Officer Hopps," He responded, his eyes lighting up. "I've only caught half as many criminals as you, but at least I can press charges on them."

Judy growled at the wolf and pulled out into traffic, unamused by his reference to how she was forced to let Duke Weaselton go about a week prior since no charges could be filed against him for sitting on a public bench, even after she had linked him to the mammal with the metal claws still running amok somewhere in the city.

"Let's just make the city a better place," She grumbled above the roar of the cruiser's engine, her voice lacking kindness, and she heard a faint chuckle come out of Officer Wolfenstein.

* * *

The rabbit wasn't _going_ to be the death of him, because the rabbit was already killing him.

Nick pulled his lips back in a snarl as he continued to pace around the perimeter of his prison. Every day that prey came to him, mocked him, loathed him, and as of today _changed_ him. No longer could he hear her taunts and no longer could he growl or bark. He hated it.

 _It hates rabbit_. He violently thought, and if he had the ability he would've growled. _It hates her. She changes it. She ends it._

That's when something else inside him spoke. His mouth and muzzle were moving for no longer than a few moments, but that was long enough to still drive him into a fit of rage. He didn't know what the thing inside him was saying, but it didn't matter. It wasn't _him_.

 _It must survive._ Nick thought, rage building up inside of him. _It cannot survive with rabbit. Rabbit must not survive!_

But there was no way he could execute his desire. He was still trapped behind the thick, reflective surface in front of him and was sealed in by the stone floors and walls surrounding him. The rabbit would come again and again, and there was nothing he could do about it.

 _There is._ Nick countered in his head. _But_ _It will not survive._

It was too late for him to survive anyways, and when he died so would the thing slowly taking control of his body. With a cold and hating demeanor he stopped pacing around the edge of his cell and stared at the chair where the rabbit always sat.

 _It will die._ Nick grimly thought, his eyes burning like the sun as something inside him clicked and a painful feeling erupted in his heart. _It does not matter. It will not survive in this life. In the next... Yes._

* * *

 **Talk to you all again after Thanksgiving!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 12 - November 15

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 3 - November 30

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited October 23, 2016**


	13. Chapter Twelve - Opponent

**Well well, here we go again.**

 **I'm going to spoil a little something - _Primal_ is almost over. It'll end at chapter 18, which at the pace I'm going at will be somewhere around mid-February. Just have to push on until then!**

 **Chapter 12, here we go!**

* * *

The fox leaned over his well-lit desk, one of his paws incessantly tapping on a calculator while the other scribbled away on a packet filled with charts and tables. The sound of his black pen making quick strokes across paper was the only sound aside from his breathing echoing around his empty study, designed to make him focus on the task at hand. At times like this he had no time for free thoughts; only for business.

The fox's paw stopped moving across the last page of the packet as he did a final calculation in his head, and at the thought of the resulting number a massive smile grew on his face. He punched the same equation into the calculator to check his work and felt more than contented when its answer was the same as his. With one last swift stroke across the paper he dropped his pen and leaned back into his chair while he stretched his arms over his head.

 _144%._ Was all he could think. _A_ _144% Profit margin._

That meant for every dollar he invested in his enterprises he made one dollar and 44 cents off it - truly astounding results considering the recent crackdown on illegal dealings by the city's _traitorous_ mayor.

 _Sometimes it pays to be quiet..._ The fox thought as he stood up from his chair, stretching his stiff back with both his paws as he yawned. The reflection from his desk's light eerily reflected off his metallic teeth as he snapped his mouth shut and blinked heavily, his mind suddenly yearning for the sweet release of sleep. He reached out a paw to pull his antique lamp's chain downward and let the darkness surrounding him consume the sole source of light in his study, but before he could he felt a familiar vibration in his pocket.

The fox's extended arm turned downward and reached into his pants' pocket, pulling out a phone receiving a call from a mammal that he hadn't expected to hear from for several more weeks. He growled as he answered it and held the phone up to his ear as he moved away from his desk to stare out the massive, floor-to-ceiling window at the end of his study that took the place of one of the walls.

"Didn't I tell you to cease contact with me until all suspicion passed?" The fox threateningly recounted in Zenglish, his eyes observing the flickering lights of Zootopia far off in the distance beyond the high, dark, forested hills surrounding his estate.

"You did, Prophit," A male voice responded. "But the ZPD forget about suspects relatively quickly with all the going-ons in the city. I'm safe to return to work, but I won't be able to make it out in the field for a few more weeks."

The fox growled at his counterpart as a snarl made it's way onto his graying muzzle, his free arm wrapping around the ever-so-slightly too large shirt hanging off his chest.

"I'll have your head if you're wrong," He sternly countered, his voice beginning to drain of anger as his foot began to tap against the wooden floor. "Why have you called me? I don't have much time between managing a business and running a political platform."

"I have developments regarding our favorite fox in the ZPD and his rabbit friend," The voice flatly explained, changing to a mocking tone as it continued. "Or should I say his _girl friend_."

The fox's foot stopped tapping against the floor and halted in mid air as his eyes widened in shock. It took his mind several seconds to process what the mammal on the other end of the line said, but when his words finally clicked his foot extended out in front of him in anger and with a massive kick shattered the glass in front of him.

"Prophit?" The voice on the phone asked, alerted to the sound of glass breaking, but the fox ignored him and moved to stand at the very edge of his study, his toes hanging off into the night as a brisk mountain breeze incessantly whipped past his nose.

"Where did you hear this?" The fox inquired, his voice filled with malice as his eye coldly scoured the city lights twinkling far in the distance.

"From Hopps' own mouth with my own two ears," The voice answered. "Does this complicate the situation?"

"Not one bit," The fox coolly replied, quickly whipping away from the window and pulling the wooden chair out from his desk before he returned to sit on it. "Nicholas is still my key to get into the mayor's office. I have to use him - not kill him out in a single fit of rage."

"So you're not mad at him?" The voice asked, stunned, and the fox bent his head back in a fit of forced and obnoxious laughter.

"My friend," He uttered between dying chuckles. "I have never been more furious in my life. I cannot stand a predator who's befriended prey, and a predator who wishes to _sleep with_ a prey even after he's been warned deserves death. That will come for Nicholas, but only after his job is done."

"That's good to hear," The voice elatedly stated. "I was worried that you're morals were decaying."

"Not the case at all," The fox said, a smile forming on his face as he leaned back in his chair. "Any other news from the city?"

"Virtually none," The voice said. "Hopps saw you while on patrol. I thought you said you weren't going to be in the city for a few more months."

"That's none of your business," The fox growled in response. "You're not getting paid to ask me questions."

"Right," The mammal on the other end of the line replied, a small amount of fright in his voice. "I'll call you when I have more updates. Until then, Prophit."

"And you, Officer-" The fox began to say in farewell, but before he could finish a white wolf in all black clothing burst through the doors to his study a few feet in front of his desk. The fox hung up the line and slammed down his phone onto his desk as he shot up from his chair, his eyes alight with fire.

"I said no interruptions!" He screamed, but the wolf ignored him and marched up to his desk, his eyes wide with shock and his breathing heavy.

"Prohpit," The wolf began over his heavy pants. "We've bugged a line coming out of ZPD Headquarters. Wilde is dying."

* * *

"So when I met him the next day, I used the same trick he used on me the day before," Judy recounted, a twinge of mischief in her eyes. "And he looked absolutely stunned once he realized he had been hustled."

"You should'a been there, V!" Finnick exclaimed over his booming laughs, his arm nudging the fox in a bartenders suit on the other side of the counter. "It was just like his whole world ended, right then and there!"

Voltaire smiled at the short fox hitting his arm resting on the counter, his expression amused but organized just like it always was.

"If there's one thing I've learned about Mr. Wilde over the years," The middle-aged fox said, turning to look at Judy as he raised an eyebrow. "It's that he _never_ knows when to keep his mouth shut."

"I can support that claim!" Judy comically yelled in support, raising out of her seat a little as she lifted her glass of water up in the air and Voltaire and Finnick both broke into a violent fit of laughter at her loud exclamation. Judy sent them both a huge smile, her mind so positive that she was surprised electrons weren't flocking in the billions to bond with her. As she had thought to herself before, nothing could bring down her spirits today or any day from now on.

After she and Officer Wolfenstein had booked the suspicious beaver after a long and tiring chase with a charge of attempted robbery the day had gone by painfully slow. All she had done for the past eight hours was upload the files the chief had given her as punishment for her tardiness, a job that, while necessary, was painstakingly sluggish and boring. It was only after the job was finished that she felt she could think about her partner again - and a thought popped into her head as she sat idly in her over-sized office chair. Her partner had just spoken to her - the first time in months! _Years_! She needed to celebrate!

The first mammal she called was Clawhauser, but all she heard from him was his outdated voicemail of him singing one of Gazelle's hits. The next mammal she called was Finnick, who answered his phone with a tired and annoyed voice but who was up for a night of celebration regardless. Voltaire, who she had called as she waited just outside the headquarters for Finnick to pick her up in his barely road safe van, was, as he had said in his own words, 'Always ready to facilitate a party of any kind'.

It almost hurt Judy that the two fox's didn't know about their not-so-dead friend. They thought that they were celebrating with her tonight because she had just finished a difficult and classified case that she couldn't tell them about.

 _One day they'll know the real reason.._ _._ Judy longingly thought, a memory quickly repeating over and over again in her head. _He loves me!_

"The first time I met Nick-" Finnick stuttered out as his laughing ceased, drawing Judy's attention back to the world around her. "The first time I met Nick, I _knew_ he was a bad apple! I was sittin' in the back of my van, readin' the paper cause the internet wasn't 'round yet and I hear this knock on my back door. So I open it up and there's this young little fox trying to sell me what he's calling 'winning' lottery tickets!"

Judy scoffed in mock outrage at her partner, a small feeling of familiarity building up inside of her. She could very easily imagine Nick doing that.

"What'd you do to him?" Judy asked, taking a small sip from the glass of water still in her paw.

"Well what'd ya think I did?" Finnick boisterously exclaimed, throwing both his paws up into the air. "I whacked him over the head with my baseball bat!"

Judy nearly choked on her water and burst into a fit of coughing as she returned the glass to the counter while Voltaire bent his head back in laughter.

"You did _what_?" Judy asked in disbelief, leaning forward in her stool as Voltaire bent over toward the counter.

"I whacked him over the head!" Finnick innocently repeated, throwing his arms up into the air again, and Judy groaned as she brought one of her paws up to massage her eyes.

"You know that assaulting a minor is illegal, right?" She rhetorically asked as she motioned to her police uniform and the badge pinned on her chest. "And that I'm a officer?"

"Hah!" Finnick exclaimed as he turned back to the counter and picked up his bottle of beer. "Go ahead and arrest me, bunny. I ain't afraid to go to prison!"

Judy looked up at Finnick with a half dumbfounded half disturbed expression, her eyebrow cocked and her mouth cracked open, but the small fox just shrugged as he continued to down his drink.

"Stupid fox," She grumbled as she straightened herself and turned back towards the counter where she was met with Voltaire's smiling face, his eyes full of memory as he hovered above her.

"You want to hear about a stupid fox, Ms. Hopps?" He rhetorically asked, his smile beginning to grow. "The first time I ever met Mr. Wilde was when Mr. Big had me over for a 'family' dinner. The very first thing that fox said to me was _'How're you doing, foxy?'_."

Judy erupted into laughter at Voltaire's incredibly accurate portrayal of Nick's voice, and above her own laughing she could hear Finnick joining in as well.

"What?" Voltaire innocently said, raising his paws up to his sides as his normally up-tight demeanor began to fade. "Don't tell me you two haven't heard his doltish nicknames for everybody!"

"Oh, we have, we have, V," Finnick exclaimed as he picked up his beer and chugged another portion of it. Once Judy could contain herself again she rested her elbow on the counter and pointed a paw at Voltaire, a jovial smile on her face and a humorous memory playing in her mind.

"There was this one time Nick wouldn't stop calling me 'cute'," She began, a few stray laughs still making their way out of her. "It's very offensive to call a rabbit 'cute', so I thought it'd be best If I punished him a little. So one day, when he was waiting for me outside of the headquarters, I ran over hi-"

Before Judy could finish her story the sound of a phone ringing entered her straightened ears and she felt a sudden vibration in her back pocket. She quickly pulled her phone out from her back pocket and held it out in front of her. The screen read:

 _Incoming Call_

 _Chief Bogo - Cell_

While underneath it was an image of a slightly younger Chief Bogo asleep at his desk, his mouth wide open in a snore. Judy wasn't sure how or when Nick had taken the picture of the chief. Probably when he was supposed to be doing something else...

"I'm sorry. I'll have to finish that story another time," Judy apologized as she slid off her chair, her eyes flicking apologetically from Voltaire's curious expression to Finnick, who had only just finished his glass of beer. "I need to step out for a moment to take this."

Judy quickly walked across the wooden floor, piloting around the empty tables in the middle of the bar's main room, her thumb eagerly hovering above the _Answer Call_ button and her straightened ears picking up traces of a continued conversation coming from the two fox's she was leaving. She pushed open the door to the outside world, letting the cool night surround her as she answered the call and held her phone up to her ear.

"Good evening, Chief Bogo!" Judy joyfully greeted, a smile coming onto her face and her eyes watching the few cars driving up and down the otherwise deserted street.

"Good evening, Officer Hopps," Chief Bogo responded, his tired and weary voice only further increasing the size of Judy's smile. He was always working too hard! Maybe he should have a good drink once in a while, just like she did. Although she doubted she could convince him to join her at a predator's bar where the bartender himself was once a criminal!

"Have you listened to the recording yet?" Judy hurriedly asked, and she heard Chief Bogo sigh on the other end of the line.

"Me and Doctor Zdanskyi both have, Officer Hopps," He said, his voice turning solemn. "He is making some improvement."

" _Some_!" Judy repeated, excitement beginning to build up inside of her. "Sir, _some_ doesn't even begin to cover it! This is the first time he's talked in years - he's finally showing the world that he's getting better!"

"I know that, Hopps," Chief Bogo began, "But-"

"Does the mayor know?" Judy interrupted, her excitement getting the better of her and causing Chief Bogo to growl. "Has he sorted out what will happen to Nick once he's better? Because I've been thinking about it for a little while, and I think It'd be best if I moved in wi-"

"HOPPS!" The chief shouted on the other end of the line, and Judy immediately snapped her mouth shut. It seemed like every other time she talked with her superior officer their conversation ended with him shouting at her, but maybe that was because she was always interrupting him. She really needed to just let him speak...

Judy heard the Chief give a long, frustrated sigh on the other end of the line before he continued.

"Where are you now, Hopps?" The cape buffalo asked as he shifted his phone.

"I'm outside of a bar, Chief," She responded, looking up and down the deserted sidewalk for any mammals walking in her direction. "But I'm not drunk and nobody can hear me right now."

"Good," The chief curtly responded, and there was a moment of silence on his end of the line before he continued. "Listen, Hopps. There isn't any easy way to say this, so I'm just going to ask that you take a seat. Officer Wilde is dying."

As soon as the Chief's words left his mouth, Judy's ears fell limp behind her head and she felt something shatter into a thousand pieces inside her chest. All strength in her body suddenly faded, and she fell backwards to lean against the brick wall just beside the bar's entrance, her eyes firmly locked with the tires of Finnick's van

 _Dying?_ She thought, confusion and fright filling every inch of her body. That couldn't be right! Nick was fine this morning - more than fine! The Chief was just playing some sick joke on her. Nick couldn't just go from talking to _dying_ in a matter of hours!

"Dying?" She worriedly repeated, her eyes widening a little more at the word.

"Dying," Chief Bogo confirmed, "Doctor Zdanskyi's confirmed it."

"I can't believe that, Chief," Judy cheerlessly replied, slowly shaking her head back in forth in disbelief as panic overcame her. "He was perfect this morning. He can't have just given up!"

"Hopps," Chief Bogo said, his voice suddenly filled with comfort. "Your partner hasn't given up. Zdanskyi's been with him for the past few hours and he's said that he's never seen a mammal fighting harder to live. And your partner isn't dying quickly - Zdanskyi says he still has a few more weeks left before it's too late. We can still save Wilde."

Judy took a series of deep breaths to try to calm down as she straightened herself, tilting her head backward to rest on the brick wall behind her and closing her eyes. She still had time. There was no reason to panic. Nick wasn't dying quickly - she didn't hope that meant that he would be in more pain, but it gave her time. She'd have to double, triple, quadruple her efforts. There was still a chance. She had already lost her dumb fox once. She wasn't going to let him go so easily again.

"Does Zdanskyi know why this is happening?" She calmly asked, her eyes moving to stare up at the night sky poisoned yellow by the city's lights.

"He thinks that it has to do with his age," Chief Bogo explained. "Remember what the report about Turnklin said? How a primal mammal's lifespan _may_ _be_ that of it's un-evolved counterpart? According to Doctor Zdanskyi, an un-evolved fox's lifespan is seven years at most. And with Officer Wilde is thirty six-"

"-seven," Judy interrupted, her voice lacking any emotion whatsoever as she continued to gaze above. "He turned thirty seven earlier this month."

"Of course," Chief Bogo politely acknowledged, not snapping at her interruption like before. "The point being that given his age and the hypothesis Doctor Elandrew came up with after Trunklin's death, the best assumption we can make is that Officer Wilde is dying because of his age."

Judy slowly nodded, all worry and doubt fleeing from her in an instant. She couldn't have any disruptive thoughts right now - she had to behave like she had a job to do. And she did! It wasn't to protect the city or its citizens like it normally was. She didn't want to give up her place fighting crime, but other officers could always take her place in her absence. What they couldn't take the place of was as Nick's partner. _That_ was her duty and hers alone from now on.

She had to protect him.

"Alright," Judy determinedly responded as she gently pushed herself off the wall and turned, her eyes staring at the door to The Fox's Den. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Officer Hopps," Chief Bogo began, his voice full of command and warning. "I don't think it'd be for the best if yo-"

"Chief Bogo," Judy carefully began, trying to sound formal but not domineering. "Two years ago, Nick left Zootopia to interrogate a prisoner. The last time I ever saw him was when a pixelated picture of his body was on the front page of every newspaper in the city, and his last words were recorded on a gift I gave to him as a joke. After everything I've gone through, I'm _never_ letting go of him again."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment Judy thought that she had lost connection. But she eventually identified the shallow breaths of the Chief in the midst of the background static, and within a moment he was talking to her again.

"You're a good mammal, Hopps," Chief Bogo honestly and warmly said, his voice laced with a twinge of what sounded like pride. "Nobody's asking you to do this. I can see you really love him."

Judy's eyes widened a fraction at the Chief's words. She didn't know how he had figured it out, or if he was just making an educated guess, but she really didn't care if he knew about the feelings she was feeling for her partner. Not when she had a job to do...

"I do, Chief," She simply responded.

"Good," Was all the Chief said, his voice hard again. "I'll see you here in twenty minutes."

And with that their exchange was over. Judy hung up and slipped her phone into her back pocket and pushed open the door, ignoring the laughing coming from the two fox's sitting at the bar and instead wandering up to the counter and jumping up onto the stool, her mind solely focused on retrieving her bag and leaving for the headquarters.

As she closed her open knapsack laying on the stool beside her she heard the laughs coming from the two foxes behind her dying off, and with careful attention she focused her ears toward the two of them.

"Anything wrong, Ms. Hopps?" Voltaire politely asked, and over the sound of his voice Judy heard Finnick taking a drink from what sounded like another bottle of beer.

"Regrettably," She answered without turning towards the fox, her paws still hard at work closing the latches on her knapsack. "A situation's come up at the ZPD."

"Ahhhh," Finnick said, his voice filled with disinterest. "She's leaving us, V, so she can go work the night shift at the Zootopia _Pediatrics_ _Department_."

"A necessary loss," Voltaire replied, and Judy could imagine him slowly shaking his head back and forth. She threw her knapsack over her arm and turned towards the two foxes, forcing a polite smile onto her face as her gaze flicked between the two mammals.

"Have a good night," She flatly, almost coldly, said as she slid off her chair and began to swiftly walk towards the front door, her thoughts not focused on being polite

"You too, bunny!" Finnick shouted after her, his voice lacking happiness or joy, and Judy heard him mumble something to Voltaire under his breath. "Geez, what killed her vibe?"

"I don't know," Voltaire responded dumbfounded. A small trickle of guilt began to fill Judy's mind, and when she reached the door leading out to the abandoned sidewalk all she could do was stare at it, her brain not allowing her to leave just yet. Here were her partner's two best friends, mammals he had known and worked with for years, who still thought that he was dead from an ill-fated trip. And here she was with them - someone who knew the truth about her partner was very different than what mammals thought.

Judy cast her gaze behind her shoulder, keeping her eyes locked with the two foxes quietly talking with one another by the counter. If she told them about Nick, that'd be a direct violation of the Mayor's orders. That was a criminal offense - she could lose her job! But as she continued to stare at the two foxes, she slowly turned the lock to the front door to ensure their privacy and began to walk back towards them. She knew exactly what she had to do.

"Can I tell you both something?" She politely asked as she jumped up onto the stool at the end of the counter next to Finnick.

"Of course," Voltaire respectfully answered, leaning in her direction.

"Go ahead, bunny," Finnick chimed in, resting his glass on the counter as a hard and curious expression came onto his face. Judy took a deep breath and swung her knapsack off of her shoulder, resting it on the counter.

"What I'm about to tell you, you can't tell another living soul," She said, her voice full of honesty as her paws rested in her lap. "I'm breaking a direct order from my superior officer by telling you both this."

Finnick and Voltaire both leaned in, their eyes brimming with curiosity. A small, awkward smile made it's way onto Judy's face as she stared at the two of them, her mind hard at work trying to figure out how to reveal their friend's continued existence.

"Nick..." She carefully began, clasping her paws together in front of her as if she was pleading with them as the awkward grin on her face grew tenfold. "...Isn't as dead as you might think he is."

* * *

 **Talk to you all again after Thanksgiving!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 12 - November 30

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 3 - November 30

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited November 15, 2016**


	14. Chapter Thirteen - United

**Good response from last chapter. That's all I have to say. I love all of you who're still with this story. Hope you stay until the end! (It's approaching faster than you think...)**

 **Without further a do, here's chapter 13 of Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction**

* * *

The gentle buzz of the florescent lights was the only sound that entered Judy's straightened ears as she sat with her eyes closed and the back of her head resting on the concrete wall behind her. She was still waiting for Doctor Zdanskyi to come through the gigantic, metal door only a few feet to her side and give her an in-depth description of what was happening to her partner.

Ever since she had arrived at the headquarters she had been determined to figure out the quickest possible ways to drain Nick of his Primal Instincts. All she had to go off of was her own experiences with her partner, which were, while numerous, usually not much help. To her own eyes some of Nick's mental improvement could have been spurred on by an increase in his weight and health, but those factors were completely out of her control. The only way she could think to help him was to continue to do what she was doing before - by showing him love and compassion.

If the theory Doctor Elandrew came up with while he was monitoring Trunklin almost two centuries ago was really what was helping her partner recover then Judy was sure that, if the current situation was less serious and ominous, she'd be _awww_ ing until she couldn't _awww_ anymore. But right now she didn't have that luxury. Her partner was dying, and the only thing she could do was wait until the striped feline examining him was finished to know the full extent of his sudden decline in health.

Judy slowed her breathing and cracked open her eyes, blinking as the bright florescent lights above temporarily blinded her. Her squinted gaze shifted to her superior as she slowly straightened in her chair. The Chief was idly staring at the ground, his arms resting on his knees and his hooves clasped together as he sat on the edge of an office chair he had taken from one of the cubicles outside. His foot gently tapped against the concrete floor as quiet as a mouse's whisper, but as Judy moved to rest on the edge of her chair the tapping stopped and his gaze darted up to meet hers.

"Good morning, Officer Hopps," He grimly greeted, a smile devoid from his face. Judy stretched her arms upward as she continued to sheepishly blink at the chief, her mind weighed down by lack of sleep and stress.

"What time is it?" She dourly asked as her arms came down to rest on her lap and her right leg crossed over her left in a semi-relaxing position.

"Almost six," Chief Bogo responded, and Judy silently exasperated.

"Has Doctor Zdanskyi said anything yet?" She asked as her nose began to twitch, unsure whether she had been deep in thought or uncomfortably dosing for the past few hours, but the Chief shook his head and straightened in his chair.

"He's been silent," He sullenly answered, leaning against his chair's flimsy wooden back and the concrete wall behind. "I spoke with the mayor a little while ago. He wishes you and Officer Wilde the best and hopes that your partner will have a speedy recovery and will soon join us."

Judy couldn't help but feel a small pulse of anger at the mention of Mayor Lionheart's name, and her paws squeezed together as her jaw clenched. She realized that he was trying to protect the city from becoming any more divided than it already was, and that wasn't a problem to her at all. It was the _way_ he was doing it that was ticking her off - making her hide her partner's existence from the entire world and all the mammals who cared about him! As it turned out, even she couldn't keep a state secret a secret forever. The shocked expressions of Finnick and Voltaire as she told them about their friend's struggle to survive still echoed in her mind...

"I personally called all the officers who know about Wilde to inform them about his sudden change in fortune," The chief explained, his gaze softening. "I don't know if you know, but I've been keeping them after work once every few days to update them on your partner's condition. They all wish you and Wilde the best, and regret that they can't be there to help you. They, and I, don't doubt Wilde's strength. We have the utmost confidence that your partner will be fi-"

"Sir," Judy sternly interrupted, a small, polite frown coming onto her face as she raised her paw out to her side. "We can't just pretend that everything is fine and go on hoping that Nick will recover. If there's one thing that Zootopia has taught me, aside from that anyone can be anything, it's that _you_ have to be the change that others need. And change is exactly what Nick needs right now."

Chief Bogo carefully studied Judy's almost defiant face for a few seconds before a small, humored smirk made its way onto his face and he slowly shook his head back and forth.

"You never cease to surprise me with your passion, Officer Hopps," The Chief warmly stated as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "But you're absolutely right. We can't just brush off Nicholas' downturn as a temporary problem; we don't know yet if it _is_ temporary or if this will hinder all the progress Officer Wilde has made so far. We can have as much hope as we want, but if we don't do anything with that hope then nothing will change."

"Exactly. That's why I've been thinking about the different ways we can help Nick," Judy eagerly began, uncrossing her legs as her ears straightened even more than they already were and she moved even further to the edge of the chair. "He seems to really progress whenever we're together, so I think the next step in his recovery should be physical contact with me."

Chief Bogo raised an eyebrow and unstraightened, letting his hooves fall to rest on his knees as he leaned in towards Judy with his eyes cast off at the floor in deep thought.

"I'm not sure that should be our next approach..." He began as his gaze flicked back to Judy's, his voice full of warning. "I could shake up his diet a little. I've been feeding him raw fish since he returned. Maybe he could use some cooked food, like a good salad or-"

"Blueberries!" Judy exclaimed, pointing at her superior as she raised out of her seat a tiny amount, the previously depressed thoughts completely dispersed. "Nick loves Blueberries!"

"I can get some for him," Chief Bogo replied, nodding, as he brought one of his paws up to rub his chin. "They'd go nice with sauteed broccoli and cauliflower. How does Wilde like his fish and insects?"

"I'm not sure," Judy answered, her eyes widening when she realized she didn't know how her partner liked his non-vegetarian foods. "I've never seen him actually eat meat or bugs. I think he might be a vegetarian."

"Then maybe feeding him fish these past few weeks hasn't been helping him out," Chief Bogo countered, his stern gaze darting to Judy's again. "Next time be sure to speak up, Hopps."

"Will do, Sir," Judy warmly replied, sending her superior a quick salute. "But hopefully we'll never have to have this conversation again!"

As soon as her words left her mouth the sound of a lock turning and metal creaking entered Judy's straightened ears, and she quickly turned to watch the huge, metal door beside her slowly open up. Doctor Zdanskyi stepped through a moment later, a pen in his lab coat's pocket, a clipboard filled with papers under his arm, and a professional-looking medical suitcase in his paw.

Judy could immediately tell something was far from being right with her partner. Doctor Zdanskyi was an older mammal, but his movements were too stiff for someone of his age, and as he turned to close Nick's cell's door behind him Judy could see dread and sorrow in his aged, blue eyes. She slid off her chair as worry began to drive out the warm and hopeful thoughts she had been thinking only a few seconds before, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the chief rise up from his chair to face the feline.

Doctor Zdanskyi turned towards them, his expression blank but his eyes still filled with dread, and he stopped closing the cell door when he saw how intensely Judy and the Chief were staring at him. At first his gaze met with Chief Bogo's, but when he noticed the small mammal between him and the cape buffalo he turned his eyes downward to look at Judy with a regretful and sorrowful expression. As the tiger began to speak Judy felt a part of her die.

"He's not doing well," He solemnly began. "He has a week, at most."

"A week?" Chief Bogo asked, bewilderment and disbelief in his voice, and Doctor Zdanskyi quickly nodded up at him before his comforting gaze returned to Judy.

"I'm so sorry-" He began, but Judy held up a paw. She didn't want to hear how _sorry_ he was that her partner was dying. She had heard enough of that crap after Nick had been announced dead by the city two years prior. If she was going to keep her fox right here on Earth then she'd have to be quick about it. A week wasn't a long time. She couldn't spare even a second to hear about how _sorry_ Doctor Zdanskyi was. She needed facts, not empty condolences.

"Do we know why this is happening to him?" Judy asked, her voice and attitude more resembling an officer of the law than a mammal who had just learned that someone she loved only had a week left to live, and Doctor Zdanskyi nodded as he dropped his medical bag to the floor and pulled his clipboard out from underneath his arm.

"I don't think Officer Wilde's sudden change has to do solely with his age, but I do think there is some correlation between that and his situation," The feline explained, flicking through the pages on his clipboard. "The best way to explain his declining health would be from a surgical perspective. Are you listening, Chief Bogo?"

Judy turned toward her superior officer, who was staring idly down the hall, a bewildered expression on his face and his eyes wide in shock. _One Week_ , Judy saw him mouth before he shook his head and motioned for Doctor Zdanskyi to continue. She could only guess that his surprise at the news was because he had never seriously thought about Nick dying while he had been spreading the word about his sudden downturn .

"Before a transplant, a doctor has to find a suitable replacement for a patient's defective organ," Doctor Zdanskyi continued, his gaze flicking from Judy to the chief and back to his clipboard. "Once the organ is implanted in the patient, the body will hopefully accept it and use it as it normally would. If the body rejects the organ, then that's where problems begin. The nervous system will attempt to purge what it sees as a foreign body. In reality, it's only destroying itself. From what I can tell with Officer Wilde, his recent change in mental state is what's causing this. Whether he believes it or not, _some_ part of him believes that becoming normal again is a threat to the body."

"So the more he recovers, the faster he'll die?" Judy asked, and Doctor Zdanskyi nodded, his expression becoming grim.

"Regrettably," He confirmed, looking back down at his clipboard. "The... _interesting_ part about Officer Wilde's condition is that it doesn't appear to be his nervous system attacking his body. I can't exactly pinpoint where the decay began, but it seems that his heart is taking the blunt of the damage."

"His heart?" Chief Bogo inquired, taking a step toward Doctor Zdanskyi. The feline confirmed the Chief's question with a quick nod of his head.

"The degenerative properties are spreading out of the right atrium," The doctor went on. "But there's also evidence of organ failure in the left atrium. That will, over time, make it very difficult for him to breath, almost as if he is suffering from a respiratory infe..."

Not feeling that any more critical information about her partner would be revealed in the conversation, Judy shifted her attention away from Doctor Zdanskyi to the open metal door behind him.

 _Nick's got a week left to live._ She thought, a plan of action for the next few days beginning to form in her head. _I'll have to be quick about this. I have to spend as much time as I can in there with him. Police duties can wait. I can't rest until he's guaranteed to survive or until he's regained control of his body - whichever comes first._

With steady determination, Judy walked around Doctor Zdanskyi, who was still deep in conversation with Chief Bogo, and through the open cell door. She stood just inside the concrete room, her eyes focusing in on the mammal laying in the center of it.

He looked absolutely feeble. Nick was laying, sprawled out on the concrete floor, with his back facing towards her, but even from half a room away Judy could see and hear that his breaths were heavier and wheezier than they were only a day before. It was worrying how much he could physically change in a mere matter of hours, but she knew she could help him; the huge, glass panel that usually separated them from each other was raised, giving her complete access to him.

Judy turned back towards the doorway, and a few feet out in the hallway she could see her superior and the doctor locked deep in a conversation about concealing the doctor's medical bag on the way out of the headquarters. She was lucky that the Chief had his attention shifted away from her, or else he wouldn't have let her do what she was about to do.

In one subtle and silent move she quickly walked back out into the hallway and with a massive pull started to close the windowless metal door. It was heavier than she had thought it was, but as soon as it began to gain momentum she darted inside the cell and let it close itself. A moment later the door slammed shut, but there was still something she had to do - and judging by the angry _HOPPS!_ coming from the other side of the door she had to do it very quickly.

In one final movement Judy threw herself up into the air and grabbed onto the door's doorknob with one paw while her other manually locked the door. She dropped down just as the chief tried to open the door on the other side, and she couldn't help but breath a little heavier at the sudden burst of activity and the rebelliousness of what she had just done. She could risk whatever punishment the Chief could deal out to her, though. She was _sure_ that what she was about to do would really help her partner.

Judy's feet began to move without her even realizing it. Her mind was focused only on her dumb fox now laying directly in front of her...

She bent down into a kneeling position and gently placed her paw against his cheek, her gaze softening and a hopeful smile coming onto her face as she felt the softness of his fur. She scooted closer to him and pulled his limp, tranquilized head onto her lap, keeping one of her paws under his muzzle while the other curled around his head.

The longer she stared down at him the larger her smile grew. She loved the fox with the twitching tail who's head was resting on her lap and who's heartbeat she could feel, through his thick fur, was heavier than normal. She didn't want him to leave her again. Not ever.

"Never again," She quietly said as she leaned down and rested her own cheek against Nick's, a small feeling of despair entering her as she felt how truly strange his heartbeats were and heard how strained his breaths were.

"You're not leaving me that easily, you sly fox," She commanded, more to reassure herself than to actually tell her partner. She turned her head as she preeminently forced out the negative emotions that she knew would eventually begin to plague her thoughts, and with all the strength she had she pecked Nick's cheek, closed her eyes, and plunged her head between his muzzle and the tuft of fur at the top of his chest, letting her breath warm his cool neck fur. His real scent, which she hadn't smelled for a very long time, washed over her, and she took it all in as if she would never have another chance to.

* * *

Nick had never been the biggest fan of his weekly check-up. It wasn't that he didn't like Doctor Stripes; he had nothing against the feline. He just didn't like being tranquilized. There was a noticeable difference between being stuck in his mind while his Primal Self was sleeping and being stuck in his mind while his Primal Self was under the influence of the sedative.

Whenever his Primal Self did something in the real world, Nick was able to feel it with less intensity. When it rubbed up against a wall, Nick felt his fur press against his skin. When it sniffed the air, Nick could smell his own scent. When it ate the raw fish that Chief Bogo would bring to him every day, Nick nearly choked on the taste. So if it was tranquilized, then why would he _not_ feel the effects of the sedative?

The answer was that he _did_ feel the effects, but those effects weren't as strong as those felt by his Primal Self. He could only speculate why that was, but in his current state those speculations didn't get very far. His best guess was that since all his other senses, aside from hearing, were second hand to him through the currently vanished vision, then he would also feel the effects of the tranquilization second-hand from his Primal Self.

He didn't know what it felt like to be high, but Nick could guess that what he was experiencing right now was as close as he'd ever get. He was idly standing in the darkness, his paws in his ragged officer uniform's pockets and his eyes staring half-lidded at the darkness right in front of him where he knew that the vision would eventually return. His mind was functioning on a different, almost restrictive, level. He could only concentrate on one object or idea at a time, and even then he could only think the most basic of thoughts.

Nick turned his bored gaze downward, curious to see what strange notions he would come up with about his body. He looked marginally heavier than he did a few weeks ago. He supposed that was good. The more fur he shed and the more weight he gained the closer he'd be to fitting in his uniform again. Nick turned his head over his shoulder to look at his tail, which had yet to begin the shedding process, and stifled a chuckle. It looked kind of ridiculous compared with the rest of him, like a giant, furry extension of something that normally was half its size.

"Oh well," Nick nonchalantly said as he turned his head back around and shrugged. "It'll shed eventually."

"Yes it will," Nick responded to himself as he closed his eyes. He could feel he was slowly becoming more and more delusional. He needed something to distract himself _from_ himself...

"A memory would be nice..." He told his brain as his neck muscles began to relax and his head cocked upward. "Maybe one with Carrots..."

As soon his words left his mouth Nick immediately felt a change in the air and a return to his normal thought process. He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with darkness, but unlike the absolute blackness which surrounded him in the confines of his mind there was a twinge of moonlight to it, and as his eyes became use to the scene he gradually began to make out the shapes of a car door and gearbox.

He was back in his, or more correctly his _partner's_ , cruiser, laying on the passenger's seat with his legs hanging off the edge. The air was frightfully cold; Nick could only guess that he was watching one of the times he had fallen asleep while on night patrol in Tundratown. But something was off about the whole situation. Even when he had fallen asleep in the cruiser while on patrol, he had always woken up in the morning, never during the night. And if he was on patrol, then where was Carr-

Nick felt something squirm against his chest, and he turned to look down towards where the movement had come from. When he saw something what had made moved against his chest his already wide eyes grew tenfold. Resting on his chest with her arms curled around his trunk was Judy, a peaceful, sleep-filled expression on her face. At the sight of her Nick immediately felt his heart burst with affection, but he couldn't help but also feel curious and confused.

This must've been one of the times he and Judy had been forced to share body heat when Chief Bogo had thoughtlessly sent them to patrol Tundratown overnight. The chief should've known better than to send two _small_ mammals into the coldest district of Zootopia without proper winter gear! Yet the question of why he was watching this memory when it never actually happened still wasn't answered.

 _Maybe this isn't a memory..._ Nick ventured, testing the thought by raising his paw off the car seat and gently resting on the side of his partner's head. Judy yawned at the sudden movement but didn't wake up, instead re-positioning her head and burrowing further into his chest fur. Nick smiled down at his partner, his mind overwhelmed at her raw adorability. This wasn't him watching one of his memories. This was him living something new - going back in time and remaking a moment in his own design.

Nick raised his other paw up and onto his partner's bare lower back and pressed her further into his chest. He swore he felt his heart jump miles out of his rib cage as Judy accepted his embrace and gripped him tighter with her small arms. What made the whole situation perfect, though, was her smile. It was small and not very noticeable through his chest fur, but it was still there none the less.

Nick relaxed himself and let his head fall back onto the car seat, a huge, contented grin coming onto his face as he shut his eyes.

"This is the way it was meant to be," He mumbled, his smile only growing as he focused on the warmth he and his partner where sharing. But before he could wallow in the moment, a sound drew his attention away from Judy and back into the darkened cruiser around them.

" _Nick..._ " A ghost-like voice began, no louder than a whisper on the wind. " _Don't do this, Nick. Don't fall in love with a rabbit..._ "

"I already have," Nick answered as a small frown became chiseled onto his forehead, his voice quiet so that he didn't wake the rabbit laying on his chest. He recognized the familiar voice speaking to him from somewhere before, but he just couldn't put his finger on where. "I thought this was decided a while ago."

" _You have..._ " The eerily familiar voice acknowledged, growing a little louder and a little more forceful. " _But there is still time to change. Save yourself, Nick. Remember your mother?_ "

Nick's head darted upward to scan the gloomy car and his arms tightened around Judy as he realized who was talking to him. It was the voice from the day he decided he didn't love Judy and from the night he decided he _did_ love Judy. What was the counter-intuitive voice doing here in his dream?

"You," He quietly growled, bearing his teeth in a snarl as he tried to find where the voice was coming from. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

" _Because I am you, Nick,_ " The voice answered, now at normal volume. " _I am just as much a part of you as that little voice in your head which is telling you to love Judy Hopps._ "

"But that voice is more reasonable," Nick countered, his frown growing. "I already love Judy Hopps - I just needed to ignore you to fully realize that. You make absolutely no sense to me."

" _No sense?_ " The voice angrily spat out. " _No SENSE? Nick, do you want to see what will happen if you love Judy Hopps? If you're really that interested, then let me show you!_ "

In one sudden moment Nick was consumed by pain, completely at the mercy of the voice and unable to even raise a finger against him. His head fell back to the car seat as if something was pulling it downward and his body began to shake from the sheer force of the pain. He felt like he was being crushed by an elephant and being diced into a thousand pieces at the same time. The sound of blood roaring began to clog his hearing, and his wide open eyes were rendered almost useless by the red pouring up inside of them. He swore he could also feel his teeth shattering in his tightly clenched mouth, still stuck in a rebellious snarl.

" _Do you feel that, Nick?_ " The voice rhetorically asked. " _This is_ _the feeling of absolute pain. If you keep on loving that rabbit,_ this _is what you will feel._ "

Nick's mind began to go blank as the overwhelming feeling of agony consumed his entirety. He felt like he was going to pass out - or worse. With a struggled lift of his head he looked down at his partner, and at the sight of her he felt his hard gaze soften and his clenched teeth relax. She was still sleeping, a smile on her face, undisturbed by the turbulent situation going on around her. Even through the red she still looked stunningly beautiful as she lay on top of him in nothing but her underwear and a bra, her light grey fur illuminated in the midnight moonlight. He wasn't going to succumb that easily. Not when so much was waiting for him on the other side.

"I don't care about the pain," Nick responded, pulling Judy closer toward his muzzle as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Do your worst - this is only a hallucination! I'll be ready for anything you throw at me!"

" _AHHHH!_ " The voice shouted in anger, and Nick held Judy even tighter, refusing to let her slip out of his arms. " _You want to see the worst, Nick? After everything I've sacrificed for you? Here! Open your eyes!_ "

Nick slowly cracked open his eyes as he tried to resist the pain killing him, but when he saw what was laying on his chest he couldn't help but open his eyes wide and clench his jaw with the force of a sprinting rhino. Instead of the rabbit he loved laying there, it was him. Yet it wasn't him at the same time. It was a perfect match physically - the eyes, the fur, the ears, the _teeth_ \- everything was spot on. But whatever was controlling his body was much more violent and _primal_ than he was. His eyes were filled with utter hate and his lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl, and a small growl shot from between his teeth as the beast slowly began to edge closer to his throat. Nick tried to move his arms off the creature, but the pain had paralyzed him completely. He knew exactly what was going to happen, but as the last of his eyesight was replaced with red all he could do was mentally struggle in vain against the inevitable bite.

" _This is what WILL happen, Nick!_ " The voice shouted, rage filling every decibel of it. " _You cannot change the future!_ "

The strike was fast and deadly. Nick didn't even feel the teeth of the creature piercing and ripping open the skin on his neck. As soon as his jaw clamped around him something changed - Nick felt the freezing temperature of the cruiser flee along with all the pain corrupting his body.

His eyes flew open as quick as he could make them, but when he looked around for the creature it was nowhere to be seen. He was back in the darkness, unchanged from his previous position. His paws were still even in his uniform's pockets.

Nick's first reaction was to collapse onto his knees and hold his paws over his eyes. He felt his breathing quicken and water build up in his eyes as he tried to ease his pounding heart.

 _What the heck just happened?_ He thought once he had calmed himself enough to think clearly. _That was my Primal Self attacking me, wasn't it. But that voice_ _? Could that have really been me? It couldn't! I'd never give up on Judy..._

The sudden scent of his partner at the thought of her name jolted Nick's already startled mind, and he flinched his head upward while his paws remained in mid-air. Just in front of him was the vision, slowly flickering to life like an old TV. Nick sprang off the floor and eagerly watched the pure white oval as his eyes began to gloss over and his mouth hung open in distress. If his partner was really with him she wouldn't be safe. She needed to stay away from him for the next few days if the scene he had just witnessed was even marginally accurate.

"Judy," Nick choked out as the vision's flickering thinned out and his hearing shifted to his Primal Self's ears. "It's not safe for you here."

There was no reaction from the vision as the white in it died, revealing nothing more than the concrete floor and wall of his cell. Nick breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he was alone, the beast in control of his body laying on the floor with its legs sprawled out to its side and its head resting on the concrete. But as the remainder of his senses returned Nick's eyes widened at what he felt curled around his neck. It was soft and tight, and as his Primal Self began to breath Nick could smell his partner's scent all around him.

"Carrots," Nick gently began, softly touching the fur where he felt his partner's paws.

" _Carot-_ " His Primal Self sheepishly stuttered, and at the words Nick felt the grip around his neck tighten.

"Nick. You're awake," Judy lightly began, her voice full of forced happiness but twinged with sorrow. Nick's eyes frowned at her words, alerted to the unordinary tone of her voice. Something was very, _very_ wrong, and he couldn't help but think it had something to do with him.

"What's going on, Judy?" He forcefully asked as he leaned in further to study the motionless vision and moved up both his paws to rest on it.

" _What onn, Ju-_ " His Primal Self repeated, the skin on his muzzle pulling back in a snarl before a small growl edged its way out of his lips and interrupted what Nick was trying to ask. Nick felt his partner's arms tighten around him even more at the question and her cheek burrowed itself into the top of his head.

"Your dying, Nick," She dolefully answered. Nick's frown disappeared at the answer and his eyes widened as his ears became limp behind his head.

"Dying?" He repeated, trying to figure out what Judy meant. He _could_ _not_ be physically dying. There was absolutely no way! It was only yesterday that he had spoken to her for the first time in years! With such a huge leap in improvement after only a few weeks back in Zootopia there wasn't any possible _way_ he could die!

" _Dy-?_ " His Primal Self repeated, its growl cutting off at the word.

"Dying," Judy responded as she slowly began to rub her cheek back and forth against the top of his head in affection. The longer she talked for the more and more wary and worried her voice became. "Doctor Zdanskyi doesn't know what's causing it. He says it has to do with your heart. Please tell me you aren't in too much pain, Nick."

Nick carefully looked down at himself in an attempt to answer his partner's question, concentrating on all the feelings throughout his body. There was cold, heartbreak, hunger, but no pain. He reluctantly raised a paw and rested it on the strips of clothing on his chest he called his uniform, but still there was no pain. It was only when he gently pushed against his skin that the pain began. It was an unnatural, forced pain, but it was still there.

"I'm not, Judy," He answered, his glossed eyes beginning to silently water as he began to understand that he was dying.

" _Not_ ," Was all his Primal Self said.

"That's good, Nick," Judy warmly responded, her voice still kept at a careful volume. "We don't have much time to fix you. I'll be in here every day, from sunrise to sunset. Chief Bogo and the rest of the department can wait. I'm not letting you leave me that easily again..."

Nick could feel himself beginning to cry. How could his partner keep a controlled attitude in such a terrible situation?

 _Because she's strong._ A voice deep within him thought. _She's been through this before - who knows how long she's loved you! When you died before, Nick, you didn't have anything to live for! Well this time you do - so fight for it!_

Nick straightened himself and gripped the sides of the vision as if he was going to pick it up and smash it, a wave of determination washing over him.

 _If she can be strong then you can be strong, Nick._ He thought to himself as he moved one of his paws up to wipe his eyes. He didn't have time for tears and pessimistic thoughts.

"Judy," Nick began, his voice quivering slightly but filled with indomitable power. "I'm not going to leave you. I'll _never_ leave you. I promise you, Judy Hopps, that by the end of this week I'll be by your side again. I promise you, Judy Hopps, that I will fight for every inch of this body until I can't fight anymore. I promise you with every fiber of my being that I won't _ever_ die again."

* * *

 **Mid December here I come!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 12 - December 16

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 3 - December 31

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited November 30, 2016**


	15. Chapter Fourteen - Intention

**Not too much to say. Long days + little sleep + writing 3 stories = a general lack of focus.**

 **Anyways, here's the next chapter as promised! Hope you enjoy!**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 _ **This chapter's been updated. Went to see Rogue One yesterday and didn't have time to edit. (By the way, go see that movie. It's miles better than** The Force Awakens **).**_

* * *

The next few days were the hardest days that Judy had ever been through. Each one of them consisted of four hours of sleep, ten hours of patrolling and policing, and ten hours of spending time with her partner.

The ten hours a day with Nick was a hundred times more stressful than pounding the pavement for criminals and a thousand times more stressful than doing it while sleep deprived. She and him spent most of that 10 hours talking and joking with one another. Their conversations were generally simple and happy, neither Judy or him bringing up the fact that their time together was quickly shrinking. And for the most part it had seemed to be working! Nick's spoken sentences were becoming longer and more complex as the days flew by, and by the weekend he was even able to show very basic facial expressions!

Yet the fact that he still wasn't in complete control his body still hung above them both, and even worse was that his physical decay didn't seem to have slowed. Even as Judy sat on the concrete floor with his head resting on her legs and her paw on his neck she could feel his heavy, irregular heartbeat through his matted fur.

What was truly scary, though, was his breathing. Judy tilted her head towards his head and perked her ears, listening to him slowly breath in and out. She shuddered at the sound, which more closely resembled struggled wheezing than breathing, but she ignored it for the time being. She couldn't even spare a second to worry about every little thing that was going wrong when there were at least a few things that were going so right.

And speaking of things going right, she and Nick had plotted out their every move once everything had returned to normal; even who was responsible for parking the cruiser on each day of the week! Once he was back in uniform they'd switch out of Precinct one and over to Precinct eight at the far end of the city and where, hopefully, their faces were much less well known. They were both aware that they'd have to say goodbye to the Chief and the members of the ZPD that knew about Nick's existence, but just because they wouldn't be working with them wouldn't mean that they'd never see each other again!

Another subject that they had talked at length about over the past few days was living arrangements. It was a consensual decision that they'd move in together, although they hadn't come to an agreement on where. She had thought it'd be okay if she moved in with him. It only seemed sensible, given that then she wouldn't have to pay rent and could get away from her loud and obnoxious neighbors. Plus then they'd both have more spending money - cash they could use to take vacations or to renovate the run-down parts of his warehouse.

But much to her surprise Nick seemed opposed to the idea, thinking that'd it'd be for the best if they moved into an apartment somewhere in Precinct eight. While she personally had no desire to move out of the edge of downtown and into the dead center of the Swamp district she kept her thoughts private, instead telling him that they could come to a final consensus once they could efficiently communicate with one another again.

 _But there won't be that time again._ A small voice almost incessantly reminded her from the deepest places of her mind. Judy quickly shook her head, her eyes still locked with her partner's sleeping face as her paw gently stroked against his scruffy neck fur. She'd never lose him again. _Never._

The sound of a mammal coughing caught Judy off guard, and she glanced up from her partner, her train of thought completely derailed by the foreign noise. It had been little more than Doctor Zdanskyi clearing his throat, but his mere presence with his pearl-white lab coat and his clipboard filled to the brim with notes and forms made Judy both at ease and uncomfortable.

He was kneeling on the other side of Nick, one of his paws occasionally picking up a blue pen laying on the ground and scribbling something on a page attached to the clipboard laying next to his leg while his other paw pressed and felt against various parts of her partner's body. Based on what she could decipher from his expression and, more importantly, what she could read from his gaze her partner's situation had deteriorated further.

Judy turned her head over her shoulder to try to temporarily distract herself from the situation, aware of her superior's steely eyes burning into her back. The Chief was leaning against the cell's closed metal door, his arms crossed over his broad chest and his eyes staring directly at her. His expression almost dared her to challenge him like she had done a few days prior when she had locked herself in Nick's cell for several hours without anything separating the two of them. Even though she had ruined Chief Bogo's trust in her she didn't think his angry attitude would last. Under his hard expression she could see grim worry, and it almost eased her own chaotic thoughts knowing that there were mammals who cared just as much about her partner as she did.

"Well," Doctor Zdanskyi exhaled as he nervously rubbed the back of his paw against his forehead and stood up from the concrete floor, taking his pen and clipboard with him. "I suppose you want to know how he's doing."

"Without a doubt," Judy answered with a small nod and a smile, her paws tightening around her partner's neck fur. Doctor Zdanskyi brusquely nodded at her response, turning his head down to intently study the notes he had taken on his clipboard. Silence took hold of the cell for several seconds as he did so, and in those strained and seemingly infinite moments his eyes became filled with loss and defeat. Judy could feel her heart rate speeding up at the show of raw emotion that she had never truly associated with him before.

"I'm sorry," He sincerely apologized, his striped tail falling to the ground as he turned his wide, pained eyes up from his clipboard and onto her. "There's been no slowing of his decay."

Judy didn't know how she was supposed to react to the news. Her mind was completely blank as she turned down to look at Nick's tranquilized face. She stared at it for several seconds. She felt like throwing herself into him and pressing against his fur, letting her tears drench him completely as she wallowed in depression. Yet she didn't; that was something she would've done two years ago. She had dealt with losing the dumb fox she loved before, and while that didn't make this time any easier it gave her a sense of control over the situation.

 _I can do this._ She thought as she moved one of her paws up to rest on Nick's cheek and turned her determined gaze to stare at Doctor Zdanskyi. _I know that his condition is worse off now than a few days ago. But he's improving, and that's what counts! There just needs to be something new thrown into the mix to help him recover faster..._

"What's the plan?" She confidently asked, an eager smile forming on her face. Doctor Zdanskyi's paws flicked through dozens of pages on his clipboard, his demeanor completely different from what it had been only seconds before. Maybe she _was_ good at cheering mammals up in the darkest of times!

"Judging from what I've recorded from Officer Wilde's last few check-ups, I think our next course of action should be to move him to a different location," The tiger explained, glancing up towards Judy again. "You say he's been speaking more, right Officer Hopps?"

Judy nodded in answer, curious of but open to Doctor Zdanskyi's suggestion. Her ears perked in interest as the tiger went back to flick through the pages in his clipboard, and over the noise of rustling paper she heard Chief Bogo push himself off of the cell's door and slowly walk towards the center of the room.

"I don't like taking Wilde away from the station, Zdanskyi," The cape buffalo grumbled, and Judy turned her head to watch him stoically walk up to stand in front of Doctor Zdanskyi, his arms still crossed over his chest. "What good would it be if we took him to the hospital? I thought we already concluded thaat medicine him doesn't improve his standing."

"You misunderstand, Chief Bogo," Doctor Zdanskyi politely elaborated, unphased by the Chief's aggressive stance. "The hospital isn't where I want to take Officer Wilde."

Doctor Zdanskyi turned towards Judy, dragging Chief Bogo's gaze along as well, and she straightened herself and widened her eyes in interest as she held the two of them in a stare.

"Have you ever heard of the Minas Girrais Recovery Institute?" Doctor Zdanskyi asked, and Judy shook her head. She hadn't heard of a place with that name before, but judging by the annoyance sprouting on her superior officer's face it looked like he had.

"What good would taking Wilde there be?" He growled, but Doctor Zdanskyi yet again calmly defied him with a cool expression, his eyes quickly moving back to Judy.

"The MGRI is an independently owned hospital and therapeutic center that was built for mammals of importance being relocated from politically tumultuous zones," Doctor Zdanskyi elaborately explained, ignoring the Chief's question for the time being. "The institute was built forty years ago with the permission of both the incumbent Mayor and the city council. Political prisoners, rogue cops; anyone that the courts have deemed innocent enough to be rehabilitated and relocated have passed through there. The institute itself is about three hours outside of the Jungle district town center, in an isolated valley far from any disturbances. If we move your partner there then I'll be able to see him much more frequently than I'm able to see him here and he'll be in a much more comfortable position."

Judy felt her nose beginning to twitch in interest at the description of the MGRI. It sounded more like a prison than a hospital with the kinds of mammals that passed through it, but if it meant that the Doctor could see her partner more often and that Nick would be more comfortable than he'd be in this concrete box of his then she was all aboard. Yet before she'd accept the idea there was still one question she needed answered.

"What happens if someone finds out about Nick?" She asked, a small feeling of hypocrisy building up inside her as she remembered the moment she told Finnick and Voltaire about their friend's existence.

 _But that needed to be done._ She silently added.

"There's no need to worry about that, Ms. Hopps," Doctor Zdanskyi reassured, finally turning his eyes back to Chief Bogo, who's stern expression had become silently angry at his deliberate exclusion from the conversation by the tiger. "Everyone who works at the institute has to sign a pledge of silence, and its management guarantees that two patients will never see one another."

"I think it'd be for the best if Officer Wilde was relocated to the MGRI, Chief Bogo," Doctor Zdanskyi continued, all his attention now turned towards the Chief and his voice hushed, as if he was trying to keep it from Judy despite her exceptional hearing.

"Are you aware how difficult it'd be for us to move him without being caught?" The chief loudly rebuked, stepping a foot forward and pointing a hoof at Zdanskyi, who still didn't react to his aggressive demeanor. "And what about Hopps? She can't just skip patrol for days or weeks."

"Actually," Judy interrupted, trying to appear as polite as she could in front of her superior, as her paw beginning to stroke the side of Nick's head. "I have three weeks worth of vacation I've been saving up for the past few years. I can use those for these next few days and while he's recovering."

Chief Bogo raised an eyebrow at her, his hoof still pointed directly at Doctor Zdanskyi, but the doctor spoke before he could refuse her offer to take off work days.

"And I have a strategy to get him out of the headquarters," Zdanskyi added, turning over his clipboard and sketching something on its wooden back as the Chief's eyes quickly flashed towards the object, his extended hoof falling back to his side. After several silent seconds the doctor turned his board towards his counterpart, who moved to stand next to him, his arms resting on his hips as his stern gaze studied the diagram. Judy strained her neck to see what the doctor had drawn, but stopped when she realized that from her position on the ground any attempt she made to see the board would be futile; unless she suddenly turned into a giraffe!

"Fine," The Chief grumbled as he shifted on his feet, his eyes still stuck on the board. "We'll move Wilde."

"Perfect!" Doctor Zdanskyi exclaimed, a content smile forming on his face as he looked past the clipboard and at Judy. "We'll need your permission to transfer him, of course."

"Mine?" Judy quizzically stated, moving a paw to point at herself as a confused expression made its way onto her face. "Why do you need _my_ permission to move Nick?"

"Well..." Doctor Zdanskyi confidently began, but he moved his eyes off of her and grimaced for half a second as he sought out an explanation. "City records indicate that Officer Wilde has no remaining family in the jurisdiction, and seeing that his current situation has left him unable to speak for himself, all decisions regarding his well-being fall to his next of kin. Seeing as that is not an option, however, those decisions would then go to his romantic partner. Which is you."

Judy's eyes widened in apprehension at the doctor's words. She didn't know whether to feel honored by holding her partner's survival in her paws or scared by it. It felt like such a big leap! But she knew that, in reality, it had been nothing but a small step. For these past few weeks she had been the one holding the key to the door of her partner's well being; now it was only official.

"Then I hereby give you permission," She responded, the anxiety in her face dying as she smiled at Doctor Zdanskyi. He smiled back at her, turning back down to look at the clipboard as the Chief brought a hoof up and motioned at a portion of it.

"You're dismissed, Hopps," Chief Bogo said, not bothering to glance up at her. "Go home and get some rest. Your vacation starts now; we'll have a fellow informed officer drive you to the MGRI tomorrow morning. I'll call when the preparations for Wilde's movement have been made."

Judy nodded at her superior but didn't rise up from her kneeling position from the floor. Instead she turned downward and stared at Nick's sleeping face. Even under his thin frame and slowly shedding fur, now almost back at its normal length, there was strength and determination, and that brought a warm and fuzzy feeling that was nowadays so rare to feel.

 _I'll be see you again in a few hours, Nick._ She mouthed, not daring to say the words out loud, as she briefly leaned down to nuzzle the side of his cheek with hers. _Hang tight until then._

With a final peck on his cheek Judy picked up his head off her lap and gently rested it against the concrete floor. She stood and turned towards the door, casting one last loving glance at her partner over her shoulder as she strolled away from him.

 _He loves me..._ She warmly reminded herself. If it wasn't for the long and hard days she was having she would've thought about what he had told her more, but in a way she was thinking about those three simple words in every waking moment she was with him.

"Remember to kill your scent, Hopps," The Chief called out to her, his eyes still focused on the back of the clipboard and his voice as hard as nails.

"Will do, Chief," She called back with a quick nod as her paw fell to her utility belt and flicked opened a container-shaped pouch. She lifted the bottle out of the pouch and held it out in front of her as she passed through her partner's cell door, and when she was completely in the hallway she held down the bottle's spray button. A huge white cloud began to form a few feet in front of her, and when it was large enough to cover every inch of her body she shoved the bottle back into its pouch and flicked it shut, her pace marginally speeding up as she hurriedly entered the cloud.

She was only in it for a second, but when she exited on the other side of it the scent of her partner that had previously combined her own scent to form something new was gone, leaving behind no trace and being replaced by an overpowering smell of anti-scent spray. She never liked drowning herself in the spray now that she could have physical contact with him again, but if it kept his existence under wraps then she'd do it for as long as necessary.

The next few minutes passed with relative silence and clarity as Judy opened the huge, metal door at the end of the hallway with her access card, locked it behind her, and made her way out into the rows of cubicles beyond it, quickly piloting to her own and beginning to pack up her belongings into her knapsack. The headquarters was nearly empty now that the darkness of night was almost upon the city, and the few mammals that remained in their cubicles that Judy saw as she strolled past them and out into the headquarter's commons were either her fellow day-shift workings packing up to go home or the mostly unfamiliar night shift workers that she had met on only a few scattered occasions.

The two or three mammals standing and sitting around the headquarter's commons weren't uniformed. They weren't very well dressed either, and as Judy passed one of them, a white wolf, she could smell the unforgettable scent of smoke coming off of his black turtleneck sweater. She walked around the mammal without paying much attention to him, her eyes and focused on the glass doors leading out onto the street and her mind beginning to form a list of what she'd need for her trip. But before she could leave the building a warm and familiar voice called out to her.

"Have a great weekend, Judy!" Someone lightheartedly shouted, and Judy turned her head over her shoulder and slowed her pace to stare towards the headquarter's front desk, where Clawhauser was glancing up at her as his paws packed his uneaten snacks into a massive gym bag laying atop his desk.

"You too, Ben!" She hurriedly shouted back across the commons as she turned back to and pushed open the glass door, letting the cool dusk air envelop her and cool her overworked form. "See you next week!"

Judy cringed, the merry smile on her face being replaced by an awkward grimace as the door slowly shut behind her and she walked down the sidewalk and away from the headquarters. She definitely wouldn't see Clawhauser over the weekend and she couldn't be certain that she'd see him anytime next week.

 _Who knows how long Nick will have to stay at the MGRI._ She silently added, the awkwardness on her face dying as a contented expression took its place. _And speaking of the Institute..._

Judy let her paw fall into her uniform's pocket and she drew out her phone from it after a moment of tugging. She swiped it open with her thumb, quickly punching in her password and piloting to the _Zoogle Chrome_ app on her desktop. She quickly glanced ahead at the almost empty sidewalk, making sure that she wouldn't get in any mammal's way, before she turned her eyes downward to look at the colorful _Zoogle Chrome_ homepage and moved her other paw up so that she was holding her phone with two paws.

 _Minas Girrais Recovery Institute._ She thought to herself as she pressed against the page's search bar and her thumbs tapped against the letters on her screen's keyboard. She hit the _Search_ button next to the search bar and briefly looked up from her phone as the search's results loaded.

The sidewalk ahead was completely empty save for several well-to-do dressed pigs and cows waiting at a bus stop to her right. The sunlight was almost completely departed, and one by one the street lights and lamps along the edge of the sidewalk began to flick on, illuminating the darkened brick buildings on both sides of the mostly quiet road.

A small smile filled with memory came onto Judy's face as she realized what had happened just over two years ago. It was midsummer, and she had been walking back to her apartment when she had pulled out what she had _thought_ to be her phone from her pocket. In reality it had been her partner's, and when she unlocked it she was greeted with two foxes doing... _despicable_ things to one another. Yet the worst part was the volume was turned up to its maximum, and she could've sworn that she had died of embarrassment when an elderly sheep waiting at the same bus stop she was walking past now had looked at her furiously. She had sprinted to the street corner in a knee-jerk reaction, and she had secretly vowed to never speak of that moment again.

 _Looking back on it, though, It's kind of funny._ She humorously thought to herself. _If only Nick had been there to see it firsthand..._

But he had been at Arctic One at the time, and it had only been a few minutes after her awkward debacle that she had first learned about his 'death'. The warm smile on her face shrunk and saddened at the memory of her breakdown on the front steps of her apartment building.

 _Never again._ She resolutely thought, moving her eyes back down to her phone as she reached the end of the sidewalk and rounded the corner of a dark brick building.

The results for her Zoogle search had finished loading; a minuscule number of 1342 pages all in all. Most of them were only news articles that referenced the MGRI or posts on various forms that mentioned the same acronym. It was on the fifth page of results, a place she would never venture under normal circumstances, that she found the institute's website. She'd give credit to the institute's administrator's; they had made the MGRI almost invisible online.

 _Welcome to the Minas Girrais Institute of Recovery and Rehabilitation, or_ **MGRI** _._ The website's front page formally began, the black text layered in front of a simple blue and green splotched background. _Our professional staff and isolated location in the province of Minas Girrais ensure that all mammals that have a need to visit us are not disturbed by the outside world. Aside from being a world-renowned hospital, our..._

Judy skimmed the last few sentences on the website's front page, deciding to switch to the website's _Facilities_ tab when she realized that she was only reading the synopsis that Doctor Zdanskyi had given her earlier. The page took a moment to load, but when it finally did Judy's ears perked in interest she she studied the image at the top of the page.

It didn't look like what she had expected at all. There wasn't a box-shaped building, concrete walls, or metal bars anywhere in sight, and the image was intricate in that it emphasized the institute's beauty yet didn't manage to give its location away. There were rows of what looked to be linked hospital rooms slowly terraced up the side of an otherwise jungle-covered hill, and from the perspective of the image at the bottom of the white stone-terraces it looked like the further the single building traveled up the side of the hill the larger it became.

 _Here at the Minas Girrais Institute of Recovery and Rehabilitation we pride ourselves on being the largest and most advanced hospital and therapeutic center in all of Minas Girrais._ Judy read as she turned her curious and eager eyes downwards from the image. _Our nearly one hundred and fifty thousand square foot hospital and almost four hundred staff guarantee that patients and their families will never have their privacy intruded on by any outside mammal. Our wide range of hospital rooms allow for mammals of any size or structure to feel comfortable during their stay, while our dozens of private residences not only accommodate but make our patient's visitors feel at home._

Judy quickly glanced up to her side as the familiar hum of a lightbulb entered her straightened ears. She absentmindedly turned towards the source of the sound, little more than an ugly yellow light screwed into the brick wall next to her apartment building's entrance, and she set her feet to autopilot as they piloted towards the building's double glass doors. She turned downward again to look at her phone, her mind excited by the description of the institute. Not only would Nick have a better chance of recovering there, she'd be comfortable while she helped him do so. Hell, even the room she'd be staying in sounded and looked spectacular! She might have to drag Nick back there sometime for a vacation!

 _Aside from our main hospital facility, the Institute is also comprised of several smaller buildings_. Judy continued to read as she stepped up the only step leading up to her apartment building's front doors, raising a paw upward to rest on the old metallic doorknob just overhead as an interested smile formed on her face. _They include, but are not limited to, several gyms and weight-training facilities, a recreational sporting building, a library with over 10000 authors to choose from, a multi-purpose outdoor activity area, a morgue..._

Judy's eyes widened in shock and her heart stopped beating as she read that single, dreadful word over and over again. Without even realizing what was happening she stormed through the glass door in front of her, her ears strewn out behind her as she sprinted down the hallway and up the dingy stairwell to the building's story. She could feel herself beginning to break down. Her eyes were the first to go as she sprinted past Bucky and Pronk, her next door neighbors who filed past her without a second thought, and by the time she reached her door the sides of her face where drenched with panicked tears. Her mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour, but it couldn't concentrate on anything except for that one terrifying word.

 _Morgue_ _._

When she was in her apartment she slammed the door shut behind her, threw her knapsack against the wall, and leaped onto her bed, letting her phone slip out of her paw in mid-air to land beside her. Her body was suddenly aching, and as she withered on her now messy bed, scrambling for her pillow at the end of it, she felt like something was going to burst out of her stomach. When she finally did manage to gain a grip the soft cotton object she shoved her face into it and began to weep.

She felt one of her paws crawling down her unmade sheets, but she didn't have the strength to care about what it was doing. She had been entirely consumed by despair and desolation. All because the mammal she loved was dying...

But why in all of the great green Earth was she crying now of all times? She knew Nick was dying! And she was _helping_ him so he would avoid that fate!

Yet there was something different about the dejection inside her that kept her attention focused on everything and nothing at the same time. With the few and scattered parts of her mind that still had a few seconds before they too were to be stricken she realized what the feeling was, but before she could do anything except put a name to it the absolute embodiment of misery consumed her entirety. It was a feeling she hadn't felt with this intensity since she had first learned of her partner's death.

 _Grief._

She was grieving for a mammal that was still alive.

"Judy?" A familiar and worried voice interrupted. Judy could barely hear the noise through her pillow and over the sounds of her muffled weeping. Without moving from her laying position she lifted her head up off the pillow and looked over her shoulder and towards her apartment's doorway. She secretly hoped that she'd be greeted by a vulpine face with big, emerald eyes and an even bigger grin, but in reality the door was still firmly shut like she had left it.

"Judith?" The voice continued. "Are you okay?"

It took Judy a little too long to notice the blatantly obvious illuminated screen resting in the paw that had moved down the length of the bed on its own volition a moment prior. When she finally did notice it she turned herself over scooted herself to the corner of her bed so she could rest her head against her apartment's ugly wallpaper. She raised her paw upwards and studied her phone that seemed to be as bright as the sun in her pitch-black room through squinted eyes.

 _Mom._ The screen read, a red hangup button at the bottom of it and a small profile picture of said mammal at the top. _Call Duration - 00:00:33._

Judy silenced her sad sniffles and erratic tears at the sight of the name, and she forced her ears to perk and a content smile to form on her face as she raised up her phone to the side of her head.

"Hey Mom," She casually greeted, wiping the snot from her upper lip with her uniform's sleeve and clearing her watery eyes with her paw.

"Judy, what's going on?" The voice on the other end of the line asked, and Judy took a moment to think about how to answer the question without revealing anything that had happened over the past several weeks.

"Nothing," She eventually replied with a forced and heartbroken smile. "Nothing's wrong, mom."

"Then why'd you call me?" Her Mom countered, worry and anxiety laced in her voice.

Judy took a long time to think about the question, but no matter what she thought she couldn't come up with an answer for why she had called her mother when the shock and sadness from the realization that the mammal she loved was dying finally collided with her. Maybe it was because she just needed someone to lean on; metaphorically, of course. Yet a part of her deep down felt like she had called her because there was a question that her grieving mind couldn't bear to leave unanswered.

"I need to ask you a question, Mom," She politely began, turning to stare out her apartment's window and look at the moon as it slowly began its ascent over the city. The teardrops on her cheeks shone in it as if they were dewdrops on blades of grass.

"If dad was dying," She stuttered out, feeling tears beginning to force themselves out of her eyes again. "What would you say to him?"

The other line fell silent for what felt like hours, and Judy began to think that her phone had lost the signal, but eventually she heard her mom sigh on the other end of the line.

"I'd tell him that I loved him," Was all she said. "And I'd spend every waking moment with him so that, even if he didn't live, then his last few days would be the best days of his life."

Judy smiled at her mother's response, her mind touched and inspired by her answer, and she turned away from the window to stare down at her feet.

"Thanks, Mom," She lovingly but shakily replied.

"No problem, Judy," The rabbit on the other end warmly and lightly replied. "Does this have to do with your partner?"

"Yeah..." Judy answered, her eyes falling even further downward to stare at her ruffled sheets. Her parents were well aware of her struggle to overcome her partner's death two years prior. If only she could tell them the real reason for her grief...

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her Mother asked, and even though she wouldn't be able to see it Judy shook her head.

"No," She answered with a polite smile as she took the back of her head off the wall and moved to lay flat on her back, her head resting on the damp, tear-covered pillow messily pulled down from the top of her bed. "I'm okay. I think I just need some sleep right now."

"Alright, Judy," Her mother conceded, her voice full of understanding but still lined with worry. "But remember - no matter how much you grieve, Rick's not coming back."

"You mean Nick," Judy corrected with a humored smile, her eyes studying her stained, ugly ceiling.

"Right! Nick!" Her mother apologetically exclaimed. "Sorry about that! It's just been a while since-"

"Mom, it's fine," Judy interrupted with a small chuckle. "Really. I mess up names all the time."

 _No I don't._ She silently and almost cynically added.

"Thanks for the talk," She politely finished, rolling over to lay on her side and stare at her desk.

"No problem, Judy," Her mother warmly responded. "If you ever need to talk, please call. Me and your Dad love to hear from you even if we don't have too much free time nowadays to talk."

"Will do, Mom," Judy replied, smiling, as her ears began to fall limp behind her head. "Love you. And tell Stu I love him too."

"I will," Her mother amicably said, and Judy imagined a loving expression was forming on her face right about now. "Love you, Judy. Keep on being the strong daughter you've always been."

With that last thoughtful goodbye their conversation was over, and Judy pressed the red _Hang Up_ button on her phone's screen before she let the device and her paw fall to lay limp on her untidy sheets. She lazily closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

She couldn't grieve. She had been foolish these past few weeks, thinking that just because her partner was alive that meant his survival was guaranteed. Even these past few days had been filled with a lack of realization, even at the news of the sudden deterioration of his condition. Time was against them now; little more than a ticking time bomb ready to blow at a moment's notice. She'd have to remember what her mother would do in this situation.

 _Tell him you love him, Judy._ Judy told herself as her sorrowful and sleep-deprived mind began to pass into the realm of sleep. _Make him stay, but don't be an idiot about it. We can't afford to make mistakes anymore. Use every minute like it's his last, but most importantly_ never _give up on him..._

* * *

As soon as the loud echoing coming from the end of the hallway ended and the familiar sound of the giant, metallic door automatically locking shut took its place Chief Bogo turned his eyes up to Doctor Zdanskyi and stared at him expectantly.

"What's wrong?" He asked the tiger, who's eyes were still focused on the one word scribbled on the back of the clipboard.

"Did you notice how I didn't mention to Officer Hopps how long Officer Wilde has left to live?" The doctor asked, his eyes beginning to turn sad as they moved up from the word _Talk_ on the back of the clipboard and onto the Chief's face.

"How long does he have?" The Chief demanded, a twinge of apprehension forcing itself into the corner of his otherwise well-defended mind.

"Two days," Zdanskyi neutrally responded, his voice noticeably quieter than normal, as he lowered his clipboard to his side and took a small step away his counterpart. The Chief looked stunned and speechless by the answer, and he quickly turned towards the fox laying in the middle of the floor a few feet in front of him, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

Several minutes of silence took hold of the room as both he and Doctor Zdanskyi studied the nude mammal who's breathing was louder than an air conditioner and who had curled himself into a ball at his partner's departure. The longer the two of them stared at the short and shaky rise and fall of his chest the more and more emotion drained from both their faces until they looked like little more than drones.

"He's not going to live, is he?" Chief Bogo asked, his hooves falling to clasp one another behind his back as his arms and shoulders became limp.

"No," Doctor Zdanskyi responded with an almost indistinguishable shake of his head, moving his arms behind him to copy the chief's pose. His clipboard was gripped so tightly by his right paw that one could almost hear the sound of its wooden frame cracking.

"How are we going to tell Hopps?" The Chief asked, his sullen eyes not yet ready to move off of the fox.

"We're not," Zdanskyi answered without any hesitation. Chief Bogo turned toward him with a surprised and disturbed expression, but the tiger's emotionless face still didn't react or look away from Nick.

"She has a right to know, Zdanskyi!" The Chief hurriedly explained as annoyance forced itself into his thoughts. "We can't just leave her in the dark!"

Doctor Zdanskyi didn't move or respond to his counterpart. Instead all he did was smile as he studied the nude mammal laying a few feet away from him as the fox fell into a short but violent coughing fit.

"Throughout my entire career, Chief Bogo, I've never really connected with any of my patients," The tiger recounted as memory began to well up in his eyes, and Chief Bogo listened to him in sullen silence. "Officer Wilde is no exception. I will say that he's been a very unique case, but aside from that I don't feel like I've developed any feelings of admiration for him or for Officer Hopps."

Doctor Zdanskyi turned toward his counterpart, his smile growing marginally as he studied the Chief's old, tired eyes.

"But when you put the two together, _that's_ when something in me stirs," He warmly continued. "I don't have any desire to tell Officer Hopps that the fox she loves will die because what she's doing isn't enough to save him. She's donated seemingly endless amounts of time and energy to trying to help him, and I fear that if we tell her that's still insufficient then she'll work herself to death - or worse."

Chief Bogo turned his eyes back to Nick, reluctant to accept what the doctor was saying but overwhelmed by his show of sincere emotion that'd he had never seen from him before. With a final, sad shake of his head his eyes became filled with silent grief and his straightened stature lost some of the discipline that was always present in it.

"So that's it," He commented, his eyes refusing to move off of the dying fox. "We're giving up on Wilde and leaving his partner in the dark."

"Don't be so blunt, Chief," Doctor Zdanskyi neutrally commented as he stepped forward and squatted down to study Nick's sleeping but snarling face. "This is a complex matter. We've all done we can to save Wilde. We won't be able to salvage him, but we might be able to save his partner from a complete break down. The only thing we have to do is keep this quiet and let nature take its course."

* * *

 **Last Chapter of 2016 is next up!**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 15 - December 31

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopian Fanfiction Chapter 4 - December 31

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

 **This chapter was last edited December 16, 2016**


	16. Chapter Fifteen - Realization

**Well, hope all of your Christmas' were good! (I published a Christmas-themed short story on the website, so if you've got a few minutes go and check that out!)**

 **Well all chitter-chatter aside, here's the next chapter! After this we only have four more, so the end is approaching quicker than you could ever expect!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Nick was smiling, and he wasn't quite sure why. He couldn't figure out any reason for him to be happy in his current situation. Yet at the same time he didn't feel like that was a problem. Maybe it was just the overpowering feeling of heartache and pain swelling up inside of his bony chest that was altering his mind to make it feel like it was in a false state of euphoria.

 _Wouldn't that be something._ He glumly thought to himself as his toothy smile fell to form a crude grin and as his weary eyes slowly flicked open.

The vision in front of his legs that were extended out in front of him was as black as coal, eerily reflecting the surrounding darkness in such a way that even with his keen eyes he could barely make out its shape in the blackness. He knew that his Primal Self wasn't sleeping or sedated; he had been at full alert when it had waken up, and even now as he tilted his ears around the heavenly white room just beyond the closed vision he could hear the gentle hum of a generator and the strained breaths of his Primal Self.

The past few hours had been an absolute joy ride. When he had been sedated at his cell in the headquarters he had been given no warning that when he'd wake up he'd be chained down to the inside of a truck. His Primal Self hadn't been the fondest of the idea either, because as soon as the vision in front of him flicked to life and the cold touch of the steel floor of the truck spread throughout his body his Primal Self had burst into a violent rage. Thankfully he had been immobilized fairly quickly by a second tranquilizer dart from some unseen mammal behind him, yet that may have done more harm than good when his already difficult breathing became even more strenuous as his Primal Self's head fell to the floor with a thud and as the metallic collar around his neck became wedged in a very uncomfortable position pressing against his windpipe. He wasn't complaining, but _maybe_ next time he was transported somewhere someone could properly sedate him and inform him beforehand.

The next time the vision in front of him flicked to life it only revealed a small, white, high-walled room with white fluorescent lights overhead and a white tiled-floor. Not that he saw the setting for very long, because almost as soon as his Primal Self had opened his eyes and sat up the vision had snapped shut. The warmth radiating from the tiles remained, though, and the heat only spreading throughout his paws and legs made made him amused as he lay on the otherwise cold darkness below him.

 _Maybe that's why I'm smiling._ He almost sullenly thought with a small snicker, but he quickly grimaced in pain as a sharp blade pierced his chest. He wished that he could call that a rare occurrence, but ever since his partner had united with him that fateful day just under a week ago it had become a daily problem he had no way of dealing with. It was a shame, really. He remembered from earlier in the week when she had given him an Aardvil that the pain reliever did no help in combating his pain.

 _So just give in, Nick._ A small, devious voice nagged from the back of his head. _You're dying; save yourself from as much pain as you can._

"Shut it," Nick sternly growled back, the small smile carved into his face falling as he moved up a paw from the darkness to gently rub his eyes. Much to his thanks the voice fell quiet with a final growl, but the stressful and foreshadowing ideas that it had alerted him to didn't disappear as easily.

Nick raised himself to sit upright without opening his eyes, his elbows supporting his body weight as he brought his legs in towards him. He groaned in weariness, pain, and a twinge of self-loathing. These past few days he had tried to regain more and more control of his body. Yet all of it had been in vain. The only thing he had managed to do was improve his speaking, but he had made little progress in the way of physical movement. He took a deep breath and focused, pushing his muscles downward as he flexed his back and shoulders and rested his paws in his lap. He could regain control; he knew it! He was entirely positive! After so long apart from his partner all he needed was that last little push over the edge and he'd be finally united with her. He was the one who needed to make that push, because once he pushed himself over the edge Judy would be there to catch him.

Nick stopped breathing, a solemn and calm expression plastered on his face as he threw open his eyes and stared at the vision. He repeated the otherwise motionless move several times, but gave up with a gruff and quiet growl. Maybe trying to regain his most important sense in one attempt was more foolhardy than he had originally thought.

 _I just need to start off with something small._ He determinedly thought as he straightened his slumped back again and shut his eyes. This time, however, instead of flashing his eyes open and closed he stiffly raised one of his paws off of his lap. He could feel his paw shaking the further he raised it upward and outward, and he felt his Primal Self shift on its paws and heard it growl in what sounded like a mix of rage and annoyance. Nick couldn't help but crack open his eyes at the violent sound, his curiosity getting the best of him.

The ovular vision a few feet in front of him was alive with the color white, but it was what was hanging in the middle of it that stood out from its surroundings. Nick could feel his eyes widening in shock and surprise at the sight of his Primal Self's paw raised outwards just like his was. A wave of excitement washed over him as he lifted his paw up further and began to move it in circles and as his Primal Self's paw did the same, much to his delight.

 _Incredible!_ He ecstatically thought, feeling the blood pumping through every vessel in his limb that he hadn't moved on his own in what had been years. _I'm_ never _not moving this thing again! I'll end up like one of those mammals that can never keep their paws still!_

"Enjoying yourself, Nick?" A humorous and warm voice rhetorically asked, and Nick sat up and perked his ears as his eyes fixated on the vision. His Primal Self looked away from his raised paw and towards the single, one-way windowed white door that was the only entrance in and out of his new room and where the voice had originated from.

Leaning in the doorway was a familiar rabbit in a green, plaid blouse and a pair of blue jeans and who was staring at him with an affectionate gaze and a small but unworried smile.

Nick's heart leaped miles at the sight of his partner, and he opened his mouth to tell her about his raised paw that she had inevitably already seen, but before he could his Primal Self let loose a startled and angry growl and a massive pain filled every inch of his chest. He bent his back back and began to whither in pain, his raised paw falling to the floor as he arched his back and squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn't the worst pain he had experienced in recent days, but it was still enough to make him grind his teeth and wish that he was dead: to a very limited degree, of course.

Yet as soon as the pain began it was gone, and Nick heaved a series of deep breaths as he blinked open his eyes and raised up to stare out the vision, his body weight supported by his elbows and forearms. His Primal Self had moved away from the center of the room to cower in the corner furthest from Judy, who was still standing in the doorway. One of her paws was limply extended out towards him, as if she had tried to stop him from backing away, while fear and worry plagued her face. But that expression quickly faded and a smile crawled back onto her as she slowly and daintily walked away from the white, metal sliding door that closed shut on its own volition behind her.

His Primal Self growled as she approached and its head bent further towards the ground as if it would strike her. Nick straightened himself, his breathing still heavy, and stared at the vision as stern determination filled his mind. Even with his recent improvements, he wasn't sure that Judy walking up to him was a wise choice.

"Hold up, Carrots," Nick jovially but deathly seriously said aloud, his voice scratchy and inconsistent as it came out of his Primal Self's snarling mouth. "I don't think approaching a wild animal getting settled into a new place is a smart idea."

Judy stopped in the middle of the room to hear him speak, her expression interested, but once he was finished the smile on her face only grew and she continued to march towards the cowering fox in the room's corner.

"You know I'm not going to do that," She warmly replied, stopping a few feet away from him and kneeling down onto both her knees as she shook her head back and forth. "I'm sorry if you didn't have any idea you were moving. I heard that Bogo had to put you under on the truck ride here."

"That wouldn't have happened if Chief Horny had properly knocked me out in the first place!" He wryly responded, a sarcastic grin on his face, and Judy chuckled with laughter at his use of their superior's crude nickname.

"Well _maybe_ I'll come with you on the ride out of here," She hopefully said, and Nick could feel her positivity bolting into him and filling his chest with power and affection, but her eyes widened in embarrassed shock and she straightened herself before he could respond to her with a comical statement.

"I guess you'll probably want to know where 'here' is?" She quickly and awkwardly asked, almost as if she had expected him to know beforehand, and Nick brusquely nodded. In reality he didn't care too much where he was; as long as he had her to help him recover.

"This is the Minas Girrais Recovery Institute," She loudly explained, raising her arms out to her sides and motioning towards the room's bland white walls as if they were great statues. "Doctor Zdanskyi recommended that we transfer you to here since he'd be able to see you more here compared with at headquarters. You know, so it'd look a little less suspicious. Anyways, you're going to _love_ it here once you get out of this 'containment room' as the staff called it. The Institute's huge outside of the hospital! And the rooms are so nice! It'll feel like our honeymoon!"

 _Honeymoon?_ Nick silently exclaimed in mock suspicion and very real shock, one of his eyebrows raising as he continued to stare at his partner's joyous face. If they'd be on honeymoon, that'd mean they'd have to be...

 _Is she really planning that?_ He thought to himself, not listening to what Judy had to say as his cheeks heated up in embarrassment and as his mind plunged into an almost psychotic rage. _I mean, I wouldn't mind marrying her. But it's such a big commitment! We'd have to find a place that could marry us without any questions, find a preacher who could keep quiet, go to the court and have our marriage made offi- Wait, are a predator and a prey even_ allowed _to marry? I don't think there are any laws_ against _it, but I also haven't heard about any laws for it. Not that I've had the time to look into the subject, but that's not the_ _point! I'm not going through that bureaucratic nonsense just so I could marry Judy! But if we really got serious, would that mean I just wouldn't marry her?_

Nick silently growled, panic overtaking his mind as he idly watched Judy continue talking and motioning in the vision.

 _This isn't the time_ or _place for these kinds of thoughts._ He decided, clearing his mind of all doubt and worry as he shifted his attention towards Judy and jumped into the conversation.

"...a field or two," She said, her raised paws falling back to her lap as she laughed. "Not that you can see them, but they're _huge_! But that's enough of the institute."

Judy leaned in towards him, her paws rubbing together as they fell in-between her thighs and as her warm smile transformed into a forced, toothy, and worried one.

"How are you feeling, Nick?" She asked him, her voice casting out the worry otherwise present on her face and instead inviting solid determination onto it. Nick focused on his body for several seconds, his attention moving away from her and onto his chest. His heart fell to his feet as he listened to his Primal Self's strained breaths, and he could feel the heavy beating of his heart that seemed to pulse with pain with every beat. He gulped as he turned up towards the vision. He'd be lying if he said he was feeling better, but he knew if he did that then Judy would find out the truth sooner or later. Plus right now, when he could feel he was so close to-

Nick gulped as the single, dreadful word he never liked to hear appeared in his thoughts.

 _-death,_ was not the time for lies.

"It hurts," He truthfully answered, moving a paw up to rest on his chest as he forced himself to smile. Judy's eyes widened by his answer but she didn't look at all surprised, as if she had prepared herself for it over the past few minutes.

"Where?" She flatly asked as she scooted towards him, her paws lifting her rear end off the floor before she periodically set it back down. Nick stared wide-eyed at her through the vision, and he almost called out to her to stop as his Primal Self lowered itself closer towards the floor so that it was on eye-level with her when she suddenly sprang off the floor so quickly that his Primal Self couldn't react. When she silently landed on her knees she was still on eye-level with him, her ears perked behind her head and a solemn but sure expression on her face. One of her paws raised up to rest on his shoulder while the other moved to rest on his chest, right above his heart.

Nick was suddenly blinded by a bright flash of light and all the air was knocked out of his lungs. He didn't know what was happening to him, but the only thing he was sure about was the soft touch of a paw on his chest, although he couldn't pinpoint whether it was his or his partner's. His limbs suddenly became tired and sore, as if he had just run a marathon, and the pain within his chest grew exponentially until he felt like his body was nothing but it.

When the brightness plaguing his vision finally faded the sight that replaced it shocked him completely. It was Judy's face, just like it had been in the vision, but the catch was that there was _no_ vision. It was only her stunning purple eyes and the white wall behind her, the darkness surrounding him before completely gone. He was looking at her through his own, two eyes.

Yet it wasn't just that. He could feel the room's cool air flowing into and out of his lungs, and beneath his paws he could feel the warm, ceramic white tiles. He was back. But judging by the weakness and numbness already beginning to consume his extremities he wouldn't be back for long.

He could feel his legs beginning to shake and his eyes tearing up as he leaned in towards Judy with a scared expression, and in the moment before his limbs gave out he saw raw and utter shock emerge onto her face.

Nick heard a minute squeak as his legs finally lost all their stability and his body fell on top of her, his head landing right next to hers. He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of pain shook his body, making his muscles spasm even more than they already were. He moved his paws to grab onto Judy's shoulders, and within a moment hers were wrapped around his trunk and he felt her chin burrow into his shoulder.

"Nick?" She shakily asked, her voice little more than an exhale and no louder than a breath. "Is it really you?"

"Not for long," He responded, fear consuming his mind as he clenched his teeth and pulled back his lips in a pained snarl. He didn't realize how lucky he had been locked away in his mind, because if this was the full extent of the pain his Primal Self was feeling he wasn't sure how he was still breathing.

"It's regaining control," He noted, his voice strained as the numbness that had begun in his paws spread up his legs and into his core and hips and up the entire length of his tail.

"Nick, tell me what you need me to-" Judy began, her voice stern, but before she could finish her statement Nick began to wheeze with sadness. He could feel tears forcing their way out of the corners of his tightly shut eyes, and before he knew it he was burying the side of his face into hers, letting her soft, grey fur absorb his teardrops.

"I don't want to die, Judy," He begged, his pained snarl turning into a sad, toothy grin as the numbness spread up his stomach and spine. He had only just realized how close he was to death, and the thought of him leaving the world for a second time filled every inch of him with fear. He still had so much he had left unfinished; he had a life to live! A job to return to. A rabbit to love. He didn't want to leave just yet...

"Don't put me back in my mind," He sorrowfully begged, pressing his forehead further into Judy's. "I want to stay here, with you. Please don't let me go..."

Nick didn't expect Judy to abide by his command. It was just a feeble attempt to stay out of his mind for just a little longer. To be united with her for just a little longer...

But surprise shook him when he felt both her paws uncurl from around his back and move to press in the sides of his head. He opened his eyes in curiosity to see what she was doing, but her controlled and powerful expression supported by a warm smile quickly erased any doubts that were hiding in the crevices of his mind.

"How'd you break free, Nick?" She asked, her voice filled with understanding as her perked ears tilted towards him. Nick shook his head in answer, tears dripping from his eyes and onto her face.

"I don't know," He hurriedly breathed, his mind still panicked as the numbness spread over his chest so that he could no longer feel the beating of his heart. In the deepest recesses of his mind he heard something give off a low growl. All Judy did was smile further at his answer, and as the numbness crawled up his neck he couldn't help but feel calmed by her affectionate expression.

"We'll figure it out," She decided, picking her head up off the floor and leaning in towards his muzzle. "As soon as you get back in your mind try to get out again. If we can figure out a way to give you more time out here then we might be able to make you permanently stuck in the real world."

Nick nodded just as the numbness finished consuming his neck, and he felt his Primal Self raise his body off of Judy as the numbness spread up his cheeks. He felt a cold breeze fly past him as the numbness took over his entire face, but he was certain that he was the only mammal who could sense the piercing wind. His vision faded as the numbness spread over his eyes, leaving nothing but his muzzle and ears under his control.

"Judy," He longingly began, unsure of where he was going to take the conversation, but before he could speak anymore he felt a paw clench his muzzle shut and heard the sounds of someone sliding and moving on the tiled floor.

"Save your energy, Nick," Judy strongly and determinedly said, taking her paw off his muzzle. "We can overcome this if we try. Just trust me!"

"Of course I trust you," He softly and sadly replied as the numbness took over the last of his senses. He could feel the cold touch of the blackness surrounding him again, but he didn't focus on it. Instead he followed Judy's command with solemn determination. He could beat this; they were so close to the end! All he had to do was try as hard as he could, and he was more than willing to do that.

"Just hold on, Carrots," He resolutely reassured himself. "I'm coming back."

* * *

"Officer Wilde's sleeping," Doctor Zdanskyi nonchalantly commented to his counterpart as he walked through out the containment room's single sliding door, swiping his access card down the panel beside it with his free paw. Chief Bogo peered behind the tiger with a raised eyebrow, his eyes focusing in on the fox laying down on the floor on the other side of the door's window.

"How is he?" He asked, his voice full of cautious curiosity.

"From what I can tell he's improved," Doctor Zdanskyi answered, briefly glancing down at the clipboard in his paw. "Officer Hopps told me that he's been able to regain partial control of his body over the course of the day. To what extent I'm not sure, but I'll come back once Officer Hopps has turned in for the night so I can finish my checkup."

Chief Bogo grumbled at his response and turned to walk down the hallway, his hooves falling behind his back as he ventured further away from Zdanskyi and the dying fox's room.

"We need to talk, Doctor," He called out over his shoulder, and through his short, unattentive ears he heard the sounds of heavy pawsteps begin to trail behind him. His eyes didn't move from the tacky painting at the end of the long hallway, but he stopped walking and turned to stare out a wide, glass window that overlooked the forested, bottom-half of the valley when he decided he was far enough away from the containment room. His eyes idly scoured the gently swaying trees illuminated by the moon almost at its summit until Doctor Zdanskyi came to a stop next to him, his body also turned to face the window.

"I can tell something is troubling you, Bogo," The tiger neutrally commented, his paws falling to grip his clipboard behind his back. "Doubt?"

"You know I trust you as much as a mammal can, Zdanskyi," The Chief wearily replied, shifting on his feet as his jaw clenched. "But maybe Wilde does have a chance. If what Hopps told us is true-"

"-then he still won't make it past tomorrow," Doctor Zdanskyi interrupted, his gaze flicking to watch the Chief with wariness. "We discussed this yesterday evening. The clock has nearly struck midnight for Officer Wilde. There's no way to stall the inevitable."

"But he's so close!" The Chief exclaimed, his hard and almost pleading gaze turning towards the tiger next to him. "Isn't there any way to hold it off for just a few more days."

Doctor Zdanskyi's eyes moved away from the Chief to stare at the moon for several silent seconds. His expression was as blank as always, but the gears spinning in his mind were visible through his clenched jaw and stiff cheeks.

"Not much research has been done in the field of repressing the effects of prolonged savagery, which is the closest equivalent to what's affecting Mr. Wilde," He warily explained with a small gulp, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to answer the Chief. "Since the Night Howler Incident there have been several studies that have looked into savagery, most of them primarily focused on how to cure it, but a select few have researched not only how to cure it but how to _prevent_ it. There's a certain one that springs into my mind from those scattered few; a group of doctors out of Drussels claim to have developed a serum that 'entirely ensures' that a mammal injected with it will never become savage. While I cannot independently verify their claim, if we wanted to at least slow Officer Wilde's death then I believe that that'd be the optimal route to take."

"Then do it," Chief Bogo commanded, turning away from Zdanskyi to stare out the window again, but the tiger erupted into a brief fit of genuinely amused yet also forced laughter.

"As a doctor I'm not allowing that," Doctor Zdanskyi said with a smile, but Chief Bogo turned to stare emotionlessly at him for several silent moments.

"That's not a recommendation, Doctor," He forcefully said as he casually turned back to stare at the white-walled residences a little ways down the valley's hill. "Don't forget that we're both paid by the city and that _I_ technically outrank _you_."

Doctor Zdanskyi stared at the Chief with a dumbfounded expression, secretly surprised by his use of political standing to force him to act. He grumbled in discontent as he turned to walk down the hallway in the direction of both the elevators and the containment room.

"Will do, Sir," He spat out, his voice still filled with near-silent respect for the Chief who only smiled at his almost subordinative demeanor.

"And tell Hopps to hurry up and get to her residence," Chief Bogo hopefully called out, his contented face still not moving away from the window as his almost devious eyes scoured the night sky. "She's been in there since morning, and if she's going to have any energy left for tomorrow then she needs more than a good night's sleep tonight!"

* * *

 **I can't be fudged writing a funny line. Just come back in two weeks.**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 16 - January 16

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 5 - January 31

 **This chapter was last edited December 31, 2016**


	17. Chapter Sixteen - Climax

_Why is the chapter two days late? You're usually so punctual!_

 **Because I wanted to screw with the readers. On a more serious note, I've been very busy these past few days and didn't want to rush this chapter in any way, shape, or form. It is of _absolute_ importance to the progression of the plot, so while I am sorry for being late...**

 **I'm not too sorry.**

 **WARNING:**

 **THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN THE CHAPTER I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. I HAVE A DEFINITIVE PLAN FOR HOW THESE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS WILL PLAY OUT (the story should have ~22 chapters by the end of it all). I SINCERELY HOPE THIS CHAPTER WILL NOT DISSUADE YOU FROM CONTINUING TO READ _Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction._**

* * *

Nick growled to himself in quiet anger. He was pacing around the perimeter of his new cell, his eyes focused downward.

 _The thing lives inside._ He hatefully thought to himself, his burning eyes beginning to scorch the white tiles black beneath him. _Thing wriggles. Thing squirms. Thing tries to break out._

And judging by what was happening, the thing's attempts at taking over his body would not be in futile.

 _The thing wins._ He acknowledged with a deep growl. _Thing sends It to the darkness. It will not survive; It knows that. But It will not win._

All because of the rabbit. He despised the buffalo and tiger, both ready to eviscerate him on the spot, but there was a special place in his frozen heart for the _damned_ mammal that would never let him be in peace. It was _her_ that had moved on from mocking and sneering at him in a language he didn't understand to helping this _thing_ inside him force him from his own form. It was losing the battle for his body; It had known that for some time, but now, in the most critical moment of the feud, it had lost the upper hand.

And when It was so close to the finish! That was the most humiliating part of his defeat; the part that wanted to make him try even more to end the game that he had played ever since he had awoken from the ice.

 _It must win!_ Nick hurriedly and angrily thought, his mind beginning to fall into a panic. _It must find a path!_

As soon as that thought passed through his skull the muffled sound of his prison's sliding door opening entered his numb ears, and he flashed his head in the direction of the entrance, his body still close to the ground and his pas widening in a defensive stance.

 _Tiger._ He sullenly and dreadfully thought to himself, letting loose a low and menacing growl at the white-clad predator standing in the doorway. _He mocks and hurts it._

He smelled artificial, just like he always did, but this time Nick could also sense the sweet scent of fish on him.

 _Tiger replaces buffalo..._ He thought in a fit of dark humor as he backed away from the tiger and towards his cell's corner, his body falling even further towards the floor. _Tiger feeds it now. Feeds it like an animal!_

He began to growl again, his lips pulling back in a fearsome snarl, but before he could reach the summit of his violent display the thing inside him spoke to the tiger, and in return the tiger spoke back. He became even more enraged as the conversation between the tiger and the _thing_ in him continued for several seconds, and he tensed his legs, ready to strike the tiger. Who was this predator to refuse his existence and spur the _monster_ inside him to further crimes? He was going to kill him!

But before he could the tiger stopped talking, his expression easy, and the thing inside him said something simple back to him. With that the exchange was over, and Nick watched the tiger take his paw out from behind his back and throw a fish into the center of the room with cautious suspicion. The tiger backed out of the room without saying anything, his eyes not moving away from his, and the exit to his cell closed behind him as he passed through the doorway.

Nick let his hateful and burning gaze fall to the fish, and he wandered away from the corner and into the center of the room to cautiously sniff the fish. It smelled of nothing, just like it always did, and Nick took another step forward and took a huge bite out of it's face. He let its scaly, grey skin slide down his throat but he kept its tainted flesh in his mouth. He closed his eyes, letting his tongue roll over the horrid taste of the flesh, and he calmly swallowed it.

 _Tiger brings bad meat._ He grimly thought to himself as he opened his eyes and took another huge bite of the fish, this time scarfing down mouthful after mouthful. The meal was gone in an instant, none of its unsatisfying taste staying with him for more than a moment, yet his stomach felt just as empty as it always did.

 _Fish doesn't matter._ Nick coldly thought to himself as he stalked away from the center of the room and towards the corner furthest from his prison's exit. The further he walked away from the center the more he felt the heavy and tight pain in his chest relax, and at first he thought it was little more than a trick of the mind. But just as he curled into a ball to try and rest he shot straight up, his ears suddenly straightened and his fiery eyes in a deep frown.

The taste in his stomach was doing something to him. The tiger had poisoned him somehow by using the fish!

 _It should've killed!_ Nick hatefully thought to himself, jumping up to his feet as he opened his mouth in a frightening snarl, his pearly whites reflecting the bright light coming from above. _It should've killed them all! The tiger! The rabbit! The_ thing _inside_ _! They made It die!_

But the time was not over yet. The pain inside his chest had been relieved, but it was not gone. It was still there, and in a hateful rage a devious but crafty idea popped into Nick's mind.

He smiled at the mere thought of it. He had never smiled at anything in his recent memory, but this was worth the effort.

 _It will lay a trap._ Nick cunningly thought to himself, his mind suddenly relaxed, and he turned and began to stalk back towards the corner furthest from the door. _When the thing takes control, It will win. It will die; but so will the thing._ _It will win._

Nick laid down on the tiled floor, curling into a ball with his face facing outwards, and he let his snout rest on the cold floor as he moved his tail to rest by his side.

 _It will survive._ He violently thought, his strange smile turning into a gleeful snarl. _It will survive in a different way._

* * *

Judy woke to the sound of her phone's alarm going off. She sat up immediately, her eyes wide and her ears perked. Moonlight was streaming through the massive, floor-to-ceiling window that looked out from her suite's bedroom and down onto the small river at the valley's bottom, illuminating her room a ghostly white. Her bed's soft, grey sheets were ruffled from the previous night, when she had been so tired that she had done nothing save throw herself onto the bed and sleep.

 _God, I need more than four hours of sleep for once._ She tiredly thought, turning herself over and forcing herself to sit up on the edge of her bed as she moved her paws lazily resting on her sheets to switch off her phone's alarm and forcefully rub her eyes. _I can't wait for this ordeal to be over._ _Hopefully that medicine Doctor Zdanskyi was talking about comes in today._

Judy forced herself off her comfortable bed that compelled her to embrace its warmth for just a few more moments and bent her back and raised her arms above her head in a massive stretch. Her back cracked in a million satisfying places, and she lazily opened her eyes to stare at her reflection in the room's single window.

"You can do this, Judy," She strongly said, stepping forward to point at her reflection with a powerful expression. "Just a few more days. Nick almost made it out of wherever he's trapped yesterday-"

"Err, earlier today" She hastily corrected, quickly glancing down at her phone to see the time was 6:02 in the morning. "You need to push the advantage; keep him in the real world for as long as possible, and then when he goes Primal just bring him back out again. You can do this. Today is the day."

She quickly exhaled and orderly straightened herself as her outstretched arm fell back to her side. Her eyes scoured her clothing she hadn't bothered to take off the night prior while her nose took in the familiar, vulpine scent covering every inch of her body. She _loved_ Nick's scent almost as much as she loved the sly fox himself. There was something enticing and strange about the smell that beckoned her to drown out her own scent with it, but she could see many, _many_ problems arising if she followed that thought.

"Five minutes," She hurriedly decided, refusing to move her eyes off of her reflection's as she spoke to herself. Once she was done with her one-way exchange she shot away from the window and across her wide, modernesque bedroom to storm past her bathroom's open door. She slammed the door behind her, not bothering to lock it, and unbuttoned her green blouse as fast as her paws would let her. She tore off her remaining garments as quick as she could manage and within an instant she was taking the quickest shower even known to all of mammalkind.

When she stepped out a moment later she was completely drenched but clean, and she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of regret while drying herself off when she only caught the faintest scent of Nick coming from her thin grey pelt. She threw the towel back over its rack when she considered herself dry enough and hurriedly climbed the several plastic stairs kindly provided to her by the institute's staff up to the bathroom's sink. Her toothbrush more resembled a jackhammer as she hurriedly brushed her teeth, intent on finishing her daily needs within the five minutes she had allotted herself. She spat out the toothpaste in her mouth after another minute of brushing and smiled at herself, checking herself over her reflection in the mirror in the instant before she dropped her toothbrush onto the marble counter and sprayed herself down with _Love's Anti-Scent Spray._

With a contented exhale and a quick, final glance over her nude body she bolted down the plastic steps and threw open her bathroom's door. She bolted back across her bedroom and unzipped her blue duffel bag she had put at the foot of a short, white wardrobe across from her bed when she had arrived yesterday. She dug through her neatly folded clothes, not paying much attention to the pink blouse and blue jeans she chose herself to wear. She hastily pulled up her jeans and buttoned up her shirt, jumping up onto her bed for half a moment to collect her phone before she jumped back down and sprinted out into her suite's main living quarters.

The room's size and appliances put her tiny apartment to shame. A huge flatscreen TV was hanging on one of the walls while a massive modern kitchen and equally modern living room took up most of the remaining free space. Across the room was another floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooked the valley's floor, and a small deck with outdoor furniture lay just beyond the glass pane.

Judy ignored the details of the room, instead keeping her eyes focused on the towering steel fridge at the far end of the kitchen. She whisked toward it as quick as her feet would take her, opening it up and pulling open its lowest drawer. She pulled out a nutrition bar from the compartment and quickly shut the fridge's door behind her as she opened up the bar's plastic wrapper. She took a bite of the hard substance and immediately regretted her purchase of a twelve pack of them. The wrapping was bright and colorful, advertising the food's "all-natural apple taste", but in reality its taste was nothing but average and its texture was as dry and tough as dried fish.

 _Not like I'd eat that in the first place._ Judy begrudgingly added, suppressing a disgusted shudder as she strolled around the kitchen's island to drop the bar's wrapper into the trashcan. _I don't get how he can stomach to eat that at every meal. Well, Chief does bring him blueberries and fruit once in a while. I guess that's a little bit of relief._

Judy casually pulled out here phone as she swallowed the last mouthful of her disappointing breakfast. She turned her path towards her suite's huge, spruce front door while a smile crawled onto her face as she studied her phone's screen.

 _6:06_. She proudly thought to herself, looking up from her phone as she shoved it back into her jean's pocket. _That's four minutes. By far the fastest time I've ever gotten ready in._

When Judy arrived at her suite's front door she let the smile on her face fall and replaced it with an eager expression. She began to bounce up and down on her toes and wiggled her fingers. She rolled her head around her shoulders, and she perked her ears when she heard her neck bones crack with a satisfying _click!_

 _You can do this, Judy._ She strongly told herself, continuing to pump up her muscles for the long day ahead while her gaze moved upwards to stare at the spruce door's metal doorknob. _Just keep your mind focused straight ahead. Remember who you're doing this for, because today's the day. Today's the day-_

 _-that I get out of this_ damned _head of mine._ Nick sarcastically but merrily thought to himself.

He was laying on the blackness, his paws supporting his head while his right leg was raised and crossed over his left. He felt completely relaxed, his stomach for the first time in months feeling full and his skinny body warmed by the white tiles that his Primal Self was sleeping on. But those changes didn't even scratch the surface when it came to why he was happy.

"I'll need your permission to feed you this fish, Mr. Wilde," Doctor Zdanskyi had explained a few hours prior, a trout with a delicious-smelling blueberry saute held behind his back. "I've concealed an untested capsule of medicine within the fish's mouth that could aid your condition. It was developed last year by a group of scientists to help immunize mammals from ever becoming savage, but based on my research I believe that it could ease the pain you're experiencing and help to elongate the time you can control your body for."

At the time his Primal Self had been cowering towards the floor, preparing to pounce at the doctor. Nick had just smiled at the white-clad tiger, his whole body filled with nothing but pain. He could feel his heart beginning to implode within his tight chest and he could feel his breaths becoming shorter and wheezier with each inhale. He knew he was on the verge of death despite his dramatic improvement over the course of the day, and he wasn't going to give up so easily when he was so close to regaining complete control of his body.

"Here's my permission, Stripes," He had painfully joked with a nod towards the tiger standing in center of the vision. "Hopefully all my fur won't shed as a side effect."

His Primal Self had begun to scarf down the fish as soon as Doctor Zdanskyi had left the room, and almost immediately after it had eaten the pill Nick noticed a change in his fortunes. The pain in his limbs and core began to subside, the feeling retreating back to its origin point within his heart. Even there within his chest that he had thought to be an indefusable time bomb constantly ticking down to the end of his life he could feel the fiery and swelling pain easing, and he smiled. He needed time, and now he had it.

 _This is perfect!_ He had ecstatically thought at the time, and he smiled looking back on the moment. Even now as he lay on the darkness in a relaxing pose the pain was still retreating towards his chest and his previously struggled breathing had been improved tenfold. All he had to do now was tell Carrots the good news.

Little did he know that that moment would come much sooner than he anticipated, because while his Primal Self was sleeping Judy was no more than a room away from him.

She was looking at a piece of paper that had been taped halfway up the sliding door that marked the entrance to Nick's room. She squinted her eyes and raised up on her toes, trying to read the scribbled writing on the sheet in the dim hallway's limited light.

 _Hopps,_ The letter bluntly began.

 _Medicine came in for Off. Wilde overnight. Doctor has given it to him. Report on progress when I return. Zdanskyi will be around at 11; I'll join at 13._

 _-Chief Bogo._

The font was big and untidy, but Judy felt her eyes widen at the words regardless.

"It came in _today_?" She repeated aloud to herself, her ears perked in interest and an astonished expression making its way onto her face. "All the way from Drussels? Talk about overnight shipping!"

The initial shock from the surprise quickly faded from Judy, and she closed her open mouth and leaped up into the air to swipe her access card down the sliding door's control panel, her mind suddenly eager and nervous. She needed to see if the medicine had had any affect on improving Nick's condition, just like Doctor Zdanskyi said it might.

The door opened as soon as her plastic access card finished travelling down the control panel's length, and as Judy fell back down to earth she shoved her access card back into her back pocket and quietly strolled through the open door, a polite and warm but secretly nervous expression on her face.

Nick lifted his head off the darkness and straightened himself as the door opened, his ears perked and his eyes wide and alert. He could hear its metallic wheels sliding sideways into the wall next to the doorway.

His Primal Self heard the door opening as well, because almost as soon as the sound began the vision a few feet in front of Nick flicked to life. At first it only revealed the tip his tail lying on top of his muzzle and the room's white wall, but his Primal Self quickly turned towards the room's door and Nick smiled with excitement as he watched the exact mammal he was waiting to see stroll through the doorway.

"Morning, Nick," Judy politely greeted, her paws moving to clutch one another as another pang of nervousness flooded her thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I've ever felt in months," Nick glumly answered as he watched his Primal Self raise himself off the floor to stand in a defensive crouch. Nick stood with him, his eyes never leaving Judy's surprised face, and his smile grew the longer he stared at her.

"Really?" Judy inquired in shock and joyful surprise, the nervousness flooding her thoughts suddenly drained, and she came to a stop in the center of the room. "Did the medicine do what it was supposed to do?"

"And more!" Nick merrily answered with a humorous laugh. He never knew he could ever be so positive! But he guessed that's what happened when he was so close to being reunited with the real world! And his partner...

"Nick, that's great!" Judy ecstatically exclaimed, picking up on the excitement in her partner's voice. She smiled at his enthusiasm and swiftly walked towards him. He was silently snarling at her, his green eyes filled with anger as he back away from her and into the corner, but she knew that beyond his angry expression he was jumping with joy within the confines of his mind.

"How much of the pain is gone?" Judy asked, tilting her head as she fell to her knees a mere foot in front of his snarling muzzle, a smile still present on her face.

"Most of it," Nick warmly answered, shoving his paws into his ragged uniform's pockets while his eyes combed every inch of his partner. He was so close...

"There's a little pressure in my chest and some throbbing in my heart, but aside from that everything else is gone!" He impatiently elaborated as his eyes traveled back up the length of his partner's body to rest on her sparkling amethysts. "It's even easier for me to breathe! It feels like everything that's happened in the last two weeks has suddenly reversed; aside from the progress we've made together."

Judy listened to Nick's summary with careful interest, but as soon as he brought up what they had done together in the past few weeks her ears suddenly perked straight upwards and her already attentive eyes widened tenfold. He was right. They had made immeasurable progress in the last week and a half, and in a weird way it was all because of his declining health. They had brought him to the edge of returning to the real world, and now they had the time to finish what they had started.

"Have you tried to control your body since you had the medicine?" Judy eagerly questioned as she raised up on her knees and straightened her back, her mind telling her to bring her partner back to the real world as quick as possible.

Nick shook his head in answer, but when he realized she couldn't see him do so he spoke.

"Not yet," He answered, his foot beginning to impatiently tap against the blackness. He didn't want to stay in his mind anymore; he had waited all night for his partner to return, and now that she was here he couldn't stand to remain in the blackness for a second longer.

"I've been waiting for you to show up," He wryly added with a sarcastic smile. Judy chuckled at his sarcasm, feeling a warm, affectionate feeling move into her chest.

"Well I'm here now," She affectionately replied, raising an eyebrow in humor as her heartbeat began to speed up. "Let's pick up where we left off last night."

Nick nodded and closed his eyes, keeping the image of his partner at the forefront of his mind. He slowed his breaths down until he wasn't sure he was even breathing. His heartbeat slowed to almost a standstill, and he felt his muscles relax as an almost euphoric peace came over his body. Ever so slowly he felt the cold touch of the air in his mind melt away and the warm embrace of the air in the room along with the heat of the white tiles beneath his feet take its place.

Judy watched him with quiet interest. Her eyes scanned every inch of his chest and face, searching for any abnormalities as he regained control of his body, but all seemed normal. He loudly snarled at her in anger, his expression fiery, but Judy brushed off his violent ourburst. That was just his Primal side speaking out. His real self would be with her within seconds.

"Hopefully forever," She almost silently added, her gaze becoming focused and her heartbeat so quick that she swore it sounded more like a conveyor belt than her heart. "Come on, Nick. Break through."

The shift of control was noticeable as Nick's efforts finally succeeded in restoring his control over his body. Starting at his tail and ending with his face Judy watched his muscles relax, and once he regained control of his face his wide eyes and snarling mouth snapped shut to form a much calmer and concentrated expression. His quickened breaths slowed down, and Judy gulped in silent nervousness as he slowly raised himself from the floor, keeping his paws rooted to the ground.

It was only he was certain that he was in complete control of his body that Nick dared to open his eyes. At first all he could see was a blinding white, but after several seconds of blinking the colors grey and green and the shape of a rabbit kneeling in front of him emerged. The minute details of his partner's face came slowly, but once all were accounted for he warmly smiled at her. The pain in his chest was all but departed, yet regardless he still felt an overwhelming feeling of weariness plague his mind.

"Good to see you with my own two eyes again, Sweetheart," He casually but tiredly joked, his words disrupted by his light breaths travelling in and out of his opened mouth.

"Do I look any better through them?" Judy warmly asked, scooting forward so that her face was only a few inches from Nick's. She squeezed his left paw, still firmly rooted to the ground, with her right, feeling his body heat travel through her palm and letting his scent wrap around her.

"Maybe if I wasn't hunched over," Nick wryly answered, and without a second thought he shifted on his paws and moved them one by one to clutch onto Judy's shoulders. He began to heave himself upwards towards her face, but his unused legs were so weak that he had to transfer most of his weight onto Judy.

She didn't mind the added weight but gripped his forearms to provide him extra support and began to raise with him when even that became useless. The further they stood up from the floor the larger the smile on her face grew and she could feel her heartbeat continuing to beat out of her chest. When he had taken control of his body yesterday her partner never had the strength to stand on his own two paws. But now that he had had the medicine... Maybe he was in control of his body for good.

"Nick..." Judy emotionally began, unsure of what she wanted to say as tears began to make her vision fuzzy. She simply felt like the happiest mammal on the planet.

Nick looked up from the ground when his partner spoke to him. She had only said his name, yet it was more than enough for him to understand what she truly meant.

"I know," Was all he said to her, still partially hunched over but not feeling the need to straighten himself any more. He was standing on his own two feet for the first time in years. That thought excited him, but not even a fraction as much as what his partner was wordlessly telling him with her beautifully purple eyes and loving expression.

Nick suddenly had a throbbing urge to embrace her; to take her into his arms and enjoy the first true hug between them. Judy was feeling the exact same thing, because as soon as Nick began to lean towards her she began to lean in towards him, her eyes not daring to leave his face still on eye-level with her. She wanted him more than anything- no, everything! It's all she had desired when she thought he was gone forever and even once he had come back from to the realm of the living. And now she had him.

Nick felt the exact same way, but he couldn't be as poetic in a moment he had been waiting for years. Maybe he had even been waiting for this moment his entire life. To be that little something more than just friends with his dumb bunny would've made him laugh when he was still on the force, but now it just felt commonplace, as if he had loved her even since before his trip to Arctic One yet just hadn't realized it.

The heat of affection and emotion between the two of them was almost visible to the naked eye, and both of them were entirely entranced by one another. Feeling his legs beginning to shake Nick took a small step forward without thinking, keeping his eyes locked with his partner's. As soon as his foot returned to the tiled floor he stopped leaning in towards Judy. He couldn't move, and he felt his muscles become stiff, as if he had been frozen in place. His breaths became scratchy in a matter of moments, and his eyes widened in panic as he realized what was going on. Judy also opened her eyes further, initially unsure of why Nick had halted his advance. Yet the shock of what was happening quickly crashed into her too, and she stood there staring into the frightened, deep pools of green mere inches in front of her.

But it was too late for either of them to do anything to prevent what was coming. The trap had been sprung.

Nick felt his legs completely give out, and he fell through Judy's arms and hit the tiled floor with a massive thud. Compared with the pain suddenly shattering his chest the collision was nothing. He didn't even realize he had hit the ground until his muscles began to uncontrollably spasm against it. He gritted his teeth as the sharp, piercing, burning, clenching, destructive pain that he thought had left him forever burst out of his chest and through every cell in his body with intensity far more powerful than it had been before. He couldn't concentrate on anything, including his partner, who had fallen to his side with her paws pressing down on his back.

All Judy could do was look down at her partner, suddenly unsure of what to do. She wanted to shout for Doctor Zdanskyi or a nearby nurse, but in this remote wing of the hospital she doubted anyone would hear her. Instead she leaned forward on her knees, forcefully pressing down on Nick's back before releasing in coordination with his breathing to try and ease his increasingly scratchier and heavy breaths.

"Breath, Nick," She strongly commanded, a protective desire falling over her. "Breath. Talk to me. Distract yourself."

Nick didn't hear his partner talking to him. He was losing control of his body, just like he had experienced yesterday, but his Primal Self wasn't taking back control. He withered in pain on the floor, his legs and arms spasming in every possible direction. His body felt like it was being pulled apart while his heart felt as if it was imploding on itself like an ice cube cracking under the pressure of a tire. He could only focus on the pain; nothing else. It was that immense and consuming.

"Carrot-" He managed to choke out, but his words became stuck in his throat as he pressed the side of his face into the tile beneath it, trying to crush the pain out of him. Yet his feeble attempt was to no avail, and he continued to wriggle against the ground in absolute pain.

"Come on, Nick, only you can overcome this!" Judy shouted at him, her voice calm but slowly becoming more and more panicked as she continued to push her paws up and down against his back. Nick still didn't hear but turned towards her just as a numb feeling took control of the tip of his tail furiously flicking to and fro in the air.

"Jud-" He tried to say, but his voice was failing him. "Jud- Judy."

"Tell me what to do, Nick," Judy emotionally urged, all the organization in her control over her feelings beginning to degrade. Nick's tail flopped to the ground as the numbness spread up his waist and down his legs. Judy turned her wide eyes towards his lower half, and she watched a wave of stillness sweep over his legs and up his core. His legs fell to the ground frighteningly limp, and Judy took her paws off Nick's back and stood up, her eyes not daring to leave his body slowly becoming still.

 _It's happening._ She calmly thought, her breaths becoming quickened yet still in her control. _It's happening. It's happening._

Suddenly all the strength she had built up over the years collapsed into a smoldering pile of rubble, and she stormed out of the room without looking back. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she sprinted further and further away from the room, running down the abandoned and ghostly white hallways as far away from Nick as she could with her ears limply strung out behind her. Her teeth began to grind against one another in humiliation and uselessness, and her squinted vision began to cloud up with walls of water.

She couldn't bear to see him die again. Not ever. She had seen him die once before, all those years ago, through security footage, but now that he had returned and she had the opportunity to stay with him in his last moments she couldn't bring herself to do so. She just couldn't see him die again. She couldn't bear to see him like that...

"Judy..." Nick choked out, his voice scratchy, as he watched the mammal he loved run around him and out the sliding door on the other side of the room. His gaze followed her, and when she ran out into the hallway he began to drag himself towards the doorway, his claws scratching against the tiled floor with deathly shrieks. He didn't feel anger or sadness or anything; only pain.

The still numbness spread up his chest, consuming his heart and the center of his pain. But he still felt incomprehensibly and utterly dead, and his body became dead weight as he continued to pull himself towards the doorway with long and pained strokes. Eventually the numbness reached his shoulders and traveled up his neck and the length of his arms. He watched his paws fall to the floor in front of him, and he extended his head further out from his neck, trying in vain to reach the distant doorway.

"Judy-" He mouthed, but his voicebox was already numb. The numbness continued its steady advance, consuming his jaw and muzzle before spreading up the length of his ears. They limply fell behind his head, and he felt his skull crash into the ground.

He couldn't do anything except shed a single, silent tear. He still wasn't disappointed or angry or anything; just in pain. He wanted to stay with Judy, to be with her one last time, but it wasn't meant to be. The numbness consumed his mind before moving into his eyes, leaving him staring at darkness in its absolute form.

He had no final thought. Nor did his partner, who had collapsed onto a hallway's floor half a building away and curled up into a ball, crying her heart out alone and cold. All she needed out of all the things in the endless universe was him, and all he needed to feel like he had one something with his life was her.

But neither of them would achieve their needs.

Nicholas P. Wilde was dead, and that was the end of it.

* * *

 **Nick...**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 17 - January 31

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 6 - February 28

 **This chapter was last edited January 17, 2016**


	18. Chapter Seventeen - Goodbye

**Just another little author's note. I'm not spoiling anything, but I'll be as detailed as I can about what's coming up in this story. There** ** _will_** **be a total of 20 chapters (not including the prologue and as-of-now-unwritten epilogue) in _Primal: AaZootopia Fanfiction_. Keep an open mind while reading these next few chapters, but remember one thing;**

 _ **"'**_ **If** _ **he returns,' Zdanskyi politely but forcefully corrected. 'You should know never to put too much faith in a hope, Chief.'"**_

* * *

Judy stood at the desk with a blank expression. Her mind was as colorless as the walls and ceiling of the small office she had been led into were. Her thoughts wandered aimlessly while her eyes scoured the massive window pane just beyond the barren desk in front of her. The morning sun that had greeted her in the early hours of the day had been blocked by clouds that had rolled over the gently sloping hills of the institute like a slow tsunami, and now the outdoors was little more than a grey-and-green wet wilderness. She couldn't help but be enthralled by the sight and feeling, and she had an almost primal urge to launch herself out the window and cool her hot body.

 _If I survived the fall._ She dryly thought to herself, slowly moving her eyes off the moisture building up on the other side of the window down to stare at a neat stack of papers resting on the corner of the white desk just in front of her. There was a chair just beyond it and another one right next to her, both just as massive in size as hers was to compliment the equally gigantic desk.

 _Maybe I should buy some furniture in these sizes._ She lightheartedly thought to herself, a small smile forming on her face. _It'd probably be easier than paying a fortune more for their custom made rabbit-sized equivalents. Although that'd mean I'd have to find a bigger apartment to put them in. Oh well._

Suddenly uninterested by the subject of furniture, Judy shifted her attention away from the stack of papers and towards the hushed voices coming from the other side of the closed door behind her. She tilted her already erect ears in its direction, but she could only hear scattered and ambiguous fragments of the conversation.

"Put... Doctor... as if... shock," Was all she managed to scrape together before the conversation abruptly ended. She perked her ears a little higher as the sounds of heavy pawsteps and a door opening entered her ears, and she only looked towards the mammals who had joined her in the office when the door was shut behind them and they came into the corner of her vision.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Hopps?" Doctor Zdanskyi earnestly asked, a polite and reassuring expression on his face, as he rounded the side of the desk and sat in the chair opposite her. Chief Bogo followed closely behind him, walking to sit in the chair beside her with his back hunched and body facing towards her. His stern expression that never seemed to leave his face was edged with melancholy, but his gaze was filled with power and comfort.

"Great," She honestly replied as a toothy grin crawled onto her face. Doctor Zdanskyi's positive expression fell at her answer, and he raised an eyebrow in suspicion as his eyes cut over to stare at Chief Bogo. Judy followed his gaze and locked eyes with her superior officer who's expression had also become sullen.

"Are you sure?" Doctor Zdanskyi cautiously inquired, his wary eyes darting away from Chief Bogo's and back to her gleeful ones as the Chief moved up his arm to rest on the side of the desk.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She warmly answered as she raised a paw out to her side, her smile becoming quizzical while she kept the remainder of her face polite. "There isn't anything to bring me down!"

Doctor Zdanskyi's eyes quickly darted back to Chief Bogo, who was now sternly staring at him unflinchingly, before he nodded and leaned forward to lift the paper at the top of the stack in front of Judy towards him.

"Right," He warily but supportively began, as if he didn't trust her answer, and his eyes moved yet again to flick between the form and her warm smile. "Well if for any reason you need a moment to process your emotions then please speak up. It's very unfortunate that I must present you with this decision only a few hours since your partner's death, but time is still not on our side if we wish to continue to keep this, regrettably sorrowful, situation away from the public eye. We need to discuss what we are to do with Mr. Wilde's body."

The smile fell from Judy's face along with straightened her ears at the mention of the name, and she felt her jaw clench in anger and her muscles tighten as a memory from the night before began to play itself in her mind.

 _"I can't guarantee that the treatment will work," Doctor Zdanskyi had explained as he accompanied her down the dark, deserted hallway._ _"The drug has only had a very, very limited range of testing, if that. But judging by the claims of the team who've developed, I believe that it could help your partner's condition and help to restore his control over his body, although I'm not sure how its side effects will affect him in his condition. If you need more information I can provide you with descriptions of the medicine, but are you open to using such a drug? The final call is always yours."_

" _You_ killed Nick!" Judy furiously hissed at Doctor Zdanskyi, taking a threatening step towards him while she accusingly pointed a finger at his calm face. "You were the one who thought of using that damn pill to _"help"_ Nick! And now he's dead! It's all your fault!"

Judy didn't try and stop the fiery and sudden rage spreading throughout her body. She let it consume her completely, and she leaped forward off her chair, aiming her short, dull claws at the Doctor's infuriatingly neutral face. But before she even reached the desk only a few inches in front of her Chief Bogo's hoof darted in front of her and caught her body in mid air, blocking her opening to the doctor's face and forcing her to return to the chair.

"You killed him!" She shrieked in anger, her purple eyes beginning to turn a dark shade of red, as she tried to force her way past the Chief's immovable hoof firmly holding her in place. "You killed him! You killed him, and you don't even care!"

The fury already inside her small body grew tenfold when Doctor Zdanskyi calmly rose from his chair and walked around the edge of his desk. His expression was just as still as it had been before, and Judy watched him with violent interest as he rounded her chair and walked across the room to open the door leading out into the grey hallway. The Chief's hoof moved with her as she turned her body to follow Zdanskyi, her anger not diminishing even for a moment even as the tiger sorrowfully yet reassuringly glanced over his shoulder and closed the door behind him.

"He did it," Judy scornfully exclaimed, turning to look at the Chief's stern yet grievous face as he took his hoof off her body and rested it on his knee. "He was the one who thought of using that medicine from Drussels! And it killed Nick almost as soon as he gave it to him! He _murdered_ him!"

Chief Bogo just stared silently at her for several seconds, his wide, melancholy eyes becoming even sadder yet filled with understanding and even a twinge of guilt and regret. He eventually sighed and let his eyes fall to the floor in mild sorrow, but his posture and expression remained just as strong as it always was.

"You're in shock," He simply stated, his gaze darting up from the floor for half a moment to catch Judy's eyes.

"No I'm not!" She passionately rebuked, taking a powerful step on her chair towards the cape buffalo. "I'm angry because that freaking doctor was the one that killed Nick!"

"Doctor Zdanskyi holds no blame in Officer Wilde's death," The Chief replied, his head straightening and his eyes becoming filled with grief and guilt so strong that Judy was partially taken aback by it. "If you must blame anyone, blame me. Zdanskyi and I knew Wilde wasn't going to make it, so I went with my gut feeling and tried to delay what turned out to be inevitable. I'm the one who went looking for ways to give your partner a few more days, and Zdanskyi was following my orders when he gave Officer Wilde the medicine even though he disagreed with my decision. You have a right to be angry at me, and the guilt that I'm the cause for speeding up one of my own officer's deaths will haunt me forever."

Judy didn't know what to say, and she stood dumbfounded for several seconds as she studied the Chief's wide, solemn face. His eyes echoed sincere sadness, but that didn't stop her from funneling all her anger towards him. She was filled with fire once again, and she took a single, threatening step towards him with her paws flexed by her sides. She homed in on his face, suddenly feeling the violent urge to jump at him and attack. She tensed her muscles, ready to leap at him and his solemn expression, but before she could the memory from only a few moments prior flashed before her eyes. Her eyes widened in silent shock as she watched it, and all the anger and power in her body disintegrated into nothingness.

 _"You think this medicine will help him?" She had asked Zdanskyi after his explanation, shifting her half-asleep yet intent attention towards him. He wordlessly nodded in answer._

 _"How long do you think he has before it's too late?" She had continued, casting her sensitive eyes over to look him as he strolled alongside her._

 _"A day," He had answered, keeping his focused eyes locked in a stare with the end of the hallway. "Possibly two if he's able to manage it."_

 _She had thought of the options laid out before her for several long seconds, and when she came to a decision she looked up from the floor and glanced over to the doctor again._

 _"Do it," She had said to him. "He only needs a few more days to completely regain control. If we can supply him with that then he'll be back forever; I'm sure of it."_

 _"I'll get in touch with my sources," Was all Zdanskyi had said back to her, taking his signature clipboard from out underneath his arm and scribbling down something on it. "Hopefully I can have a supply of it here within these next few days. But one never knows when it will actually come; products out of Drussels go through Todderdam, and that hellholt tends to mess up arrival times significantly."_

 _"It has to be here by tomorrow," Judy resolutely replied, more to herself than to Zdanskyi. "Nick and I are so close to breaking through. I can feel it. If this medicine even has the slightest effect on his condition then_ everything _will be different."_

"And it is," Judy whispered to herself, her huge eyes blinded by a flood of utter sadness and guilt in its rawest form. All the energy in her body collapsed along with what remained of her anger, and all her muscles relaxed while her ears fell limp behind her head in grief-filled defeat.

"And what is what?" Chief Bogo asked with hard curiosity, leaning further forward towards her as a wary frown came onto his face. Judy barely heard him over her thoughts that seemed to be screaming at the top of their lungs, and she slowly turned her gaze up from the ghostly white floor to stare blankly at his face with huge, silently heartbroken eyes.

"And everything's different," She elaborated, her voice quaky and her small, suddenly weak body beginning to tremble as a terrible smile crawled onto her face and as her eyes became filled with water. "I see it now, Chief. You didn't kill Nick, and neither did Doctor Zdanskyi. _I'm_ the one who gave you two the permission to give Nick the medicine that killed him. _I'm_ the one who ignored the possible consequences of the drug and who blindly used it just because I was scared I was going to lose him again. No matter how much I prepared myself to try and confront it, I just couldn't bring myself to think about it. And look where that brought us. He's dead now."

By now her body was violently trembling, and Judy felt her gaze fall to the floor as her legs gave out, and she fell onto her knees with her paws clutching her shoulders in a pitiful, lonely embrace.

"Oh god," She whispered, her voice no louder than a breath and filled with self-hate while a guilty and anguished smile was still plastered onto her face. "I loved him, Chief, and I'm the one who killed him. I killed Nick Wilde, the only mammal I've ever felt was something _more_ than a friend. I loved him, and I wasn't even with him in his last moments. I ran, Chief, because I couldn't bear to see him like that. What's wrong with me? I'm always thinking about myself! If I had just stopped for a second to think about what was best for him, then... then... then..."

Judy couldn't hold back the tragic emotions filling every ounce of her body, and she collapsed into a crying fit, her voice suddenly gone and her arms squeezing her body tighter and tighter.

"Then he'd still be here!" She sorrowfully wept with silent self-hatred. Wave after wave of absolute and utter sadness washed over her, dragging her down into the depths of despair and away from the world around her. It was hate-fueled despair, because all the while she couldn't stop blaming herself for his death. Yet she didn't want to stop; it was the vicious, ugly truth that she'd have to live with for the rest of her life.

"But what's the point of living anymore?" She asked to herself aloud between two heavy weeps, barely noticing through her tear-filled vision as the Chief rose from his chair to kneel in front of her. "He's all I've ever thought about these past two years, and now that he's gone it's like everything's back to how it was before!"

"It's not, Judith," Chief Bogo comforted, but she didn't pay attention to what he was saying and instead turned her purple gaze upwards to look at his broad face, only now noticing that sometime during her crying he had moved his massive hoof to gently rest on her back.

"I thought it'd be easier," She confessed as a tiny, toothy smile emerged onto her face and as her arms uncurled from around her chest and fell to limply hang by her sides. "Losing him a second time. I kept on thinking to myself, 'He's not going to die. Even if he does, then at least you can remember the good times you had together.' But what good times did we have? All the time we were together was in some cell, and whenever we spoke to one another it wasn't really us talking face to face! It was just through something else! And when we finally _did_ talk to one another, he _died_! Maybe If I had kept my mouth shut, then he'd still be here... maybe if I..."

Judy felt her voice trail off as her eyes became filled with water again, and she squeezed them shut and began to quietly cry. She didn't bother moving her arms off her thighs to curl around her again. She didn't deserve anything like that _ever_ again. She didn't deserve _anything_.

"Judith," Chief Bogo lightly soothed, gently patting her back with his hoof, and Judy cracked open her eyes and gazed up at her superior. He was staring into her eyes on her eye level, as if he didn't want to strain her body by making her look upwards. An affectionate expression was on his face; the same expression a grandparent would have when they looked down at their crying grandchild, filled to the brim with reassurance and love.

"You're in shock," He warmly commented as a strained smile came onto his face, and Judy turned her full attention towards him, drawn in by his suddenly caring and benevolent attitude. "And you've blamed yourself for Wilde's death. Don't put yourself through any more hardship, Hopps. You've suffered enough for a lifetime. I _know_ it's going to be tough these next few weeks, but I also know that you'll pull through."

"But he's gone..." Judy weakly protested as a weak smile crawled onto her face, but Chief Bogo slowly shook his head.

"He's only gone if we forget about him," He corrected, and he raised his free hoof to press against her chest as his expression became even softer. "What would he do if he saw you like this?"

"He'd laugh at me for being so emotional," She quietly confessed, and a small twinge of happiness pulsed within her chest as she imagined his mockingly wry yet sincere smile. "Then probably hug me."

"And what would he say?" Chief Bogo continued, letting his left hoof fall from her chest while his other tightened around her shoulders.

"He'd tell me to suck it up," She slowly answered with a quiet, sad, chuckle. "And he'd tell me that bunnies are always so emotional, but that it was okay to be that sometimes."

"Would he want to see you like this?" The Chief asked, and Judy felt her gaze widen at his question that seemed to come from out of the blue. Initially she was taken aback by the intrusive question, yet his kind expression and huge, patient eyes made her feel obligated to answer honestly.

"He wouldn't," She answered with a small smile still entrenched on her face, but as she spoke she could feel silent tears falling from her damp eyes and slowly dripping down her puffy cheeks. "He'd want me to be happy. But I don't think I can ever be genuinely happy again without him here."

"That's what we all think when we lose someone we're close to," The Chief reassured, his voice filled with sincere understanding and his eyes echoing sadness. "But we learn to live without those we've lost. We learn to remember them. We learn to be happy - without them. But all in good time. I'm not asking you to forget about your partner. I'm asking you to take a few days to remember him, and only when you're ready to confront the truth in a coherent manner acknowledge the fact that you'll never see him again."

Judy felt her heart burst in both pain and affection at the Chief's touching and emotional exposition, and she could feel herself beginning to break down into a crying fit again. She would never see Nick again. The one mammal she truly loved. Because she killed him.

Judy took a series of short, deep breath sand slid off the chair, her mind in a panicked rage while her feet began to absentmindedly take her towards the room's closed door that led out into the pitch white hallway. Her mind barely even acknowledged the fat that the Chief rose from his kneel and passed her to hold open the door for her, a suddenly serious expression on his face.

"I..." She began to say, but her voice was weak, and she curled her arms around her chest in a feeble attempt at comfort just as her gaze fell further downwards to stare at the snow-white floor. "I... need time. I need to go back to my room. Now."

Chief Bogo curtly nodded at her in response, and she quickly walked out the door and down the hallway, trying not to absolutely collapse emotionally in full view of her superior who's eyes she could feel boring guiltily into the back of her skull. The image of her partner's face flashed in her mind endless, and her already quick breaths further quickened to the point where she sounded like a speedboat.

Luckily there wasn't any mammal down the wide hallway that led out of the main hospital and into the outdoors, because as soon as she rounded the corner and was out of the Chief's view her dams burst and she began to cry even harder and more hysterically than she had before. So much had happened in the past few minutes that she couldn't decide whether to believe the Chief that _he_ was the one guilty for killing Nick or if that was just a rouse to try and make her feel better. Whatever the answer she couldn't focus on it, because as soon as the automatic, massive glass door opened and she stumbled out into the grey, dreary outdoors the images of Nick's sly and happy face flashing in her mind and in her water-filled eyes changed to the last face she had seen from him; a struggling, pained, and tension-filled expression that made her feel even more guilt and heartbroken than before.

* * *

Nick had been buried almost as soon as he had died. Chief Bogo and Doctor Zdanskyi had both agreed that it'd be detrimental to leave his body out of a grave for too long after his death, although they had come to the consensus from different perspectives. Chief Bogo believed that leaving his body in the MGRI's morgue for too long would harbor suspicion from the staff, despite the fact that they were bound to their contracts to remain silent about past patients, dead or alive. Doctor Zdanskyi had taken the medical approach and recommended that his body be laid to rest as soon as possible as to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.

His body had been zipped in a black body bag and carried out to the institute's cemetery by two of the staff immediately after Chief Bogo had given the order. The cemetery itself was at the far edge of the institute's large, gravel-paved garden, respectfully tucked away in its corner and bordering the tropical forest that surrounded the main building of the hospital from all sides. His grave was one of only a small pawful of others, although his was the only one that's tombstone had been kept blank for security reasons. As far as the city was concerned his two-year-deceased body was resting in his official grave in _Longyear's Acres_ ; a cemetery built in a remote but well-kept part of the Rainforest district.

When Judy had first heard of this she didn't know how to feel. She was emotionally numb after three days of psychotically crying, psychotically laughing, and feeling eternally wretched and dejected. She had left her dark and desolate suite only when she felt she could muster enough strength to visit Nick; nothing else truly mattered to her anymore, but maybe that was just her grieving mind talking. It was then she had learned of his burial and blank tombstone from Chief Bogo, who had been patiently waiting outside her door ever since she had retreated to her suite. Whenever he had tried to enter she had violently screamed at him to leave her alone, but he didn't seem the least bit affected by her outrage even after days of suffering through it. Their conversation was curt and emotionless and ended with the Chief escorting her to the mammal she loved and the mammal she murdered's grave.

But as she stood over the freshly churned earth with a box of fresh blueberries in her paws she couldn't help but feel immensely sad and weak once again. No matter how much Chief Bogo had reassured her, she couldn't shake the idea that she was the one that killed Nick. The one mammal she loved.

A shiver ran down her spine at those words, and she slowed her breathing to calm herself down and prevent another public break down. She killed him. That was something she'd have to live with for the rest of her life and for the remainder of her career, and that was something she'd eventually come to terms with, just like the Chief had told her would happen.

Judy let her eyes wander over every square inch of the grave, making sure to study every detail of it from the tightly packed dirt to the solid grey of the square, stone gravestone. It wasn't completely blank like the Chief had told her; right in the center of its top section there was the small, simple logo of the ZPD carved into the stone, and Judy felt her heart beat a little harder as she studied the simple symbol.

A wave of nervousness washed over Judy as her gaze traveled back to the packed dirt. It was the same feeling she had felt when she had first been to one of her neighbor's burrows, as if she didn't belong and almost wasn't welcome in her immediate surroundings. But she forced herself to stand at the grave's side, and eventually a small, sad, and farewelling smile formed on her face.

"Hey Nick," She sorrowfully greeted, and she could feel her barren tearducts trying to force out tears that had all been used the past few days. The grave remained silent, and the only sound Judy could hear was the rustling of the nearby trees' leaves by a gentle breeze.

"I guess this is it," She sadly yet emotionlessly acknowledged as she stiffened her shoulders and briefly glanced up from the grave, temporarily unable to look at it, but she quickly felt her eyes wander back down to it.

"I brought you these," She said with a twinge of melancholy merriness as she bent down and placed the small box of blueberries in her paws a few inches to the grave's tombstone's side, right on top of the freshly-dug earth. "I know they're your favorite."

Judy straightened herself again, and another wave of subtle nervousness washed over her as she awkwardly stared down at the grave. She couldn't help but sadly laugh at her inability to progress the conversation to anywhere meaningful, and she bent over slightly and affectionately stared down at the box of blueberries, picturing Nick's smiling face in its stead.

"You know I've never been one for having the last word," She dryly commented as she let her right paw fell into her pocket, pull out her carrot pen, and wave it in the air. "That's why I have this."

She squatted down again and rested her pen against the blueberry box's side, making sure that it didn't become dirty because of the dusty dirt around it.

"And you should probably have this, too," She emotionlessly added as she pulled a fox-sized phone from her back pocket and rested it beside the pen, a tiny smile still evident on her face. "You'll need it for pictures, won't you?"

The grave continued to remain silent, and Judy sent the tombstone a toothy, strained smile. She could feel heartbreak filling every fiber of her chest and water beginning to condense in the corners of her eyes.

"Goodbye, you dumb fox," She despondently said as her smile shut and shrunk to barely resemble a grin with elevated cheeks and as her vision began to blur. "'It's been a hustle, Sweetheart.'"

With those final words and a final throb of her hear Judy turned away from the grave and walked back along the wide, gravel path leading up to it. She shoved her paws into her pockets as she bit her lip and as a hurt expression formed on her face. She didn't want to leave him. She wanted to stay right with him, to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted to marry him, start a family with him as the father, and grow old with him by her side.

 _But that's never going to happen, is it now, Judy?_ She rhetorically asked herself in guilty anger as she clenched her mouth shut and forced her eyes into a steady frown. _Because you killed him. You're the one who brought this upon yourself. You don't deserve to have him._

Judy slowly nodded, acknowledging the fact, and turned her eyes upwards to stare at the light grey sky. The rain had come and gone, and the only reminder of the deluge was the thin, damp fog that hung in the air. It was as if the universe had been mourning for Nick alongside her. Although she was determined to never mourn for him again. She couldn't cry anymore with all this guilt, regardless of if she loved him.

 _Love..._ She miserably thought to herself as she closed her eyes, concentrating on the cool air flowing past her heated body.

If anything even mildly decent had come out of this terrible experience, then it was closure. She had never reached that when she thought he was dead at Arctic One. Maybe that was because she still hadn't realized her feelings for him; but now that she had, that made it even harder for her to forget about him.

 _Then I'll have to stop loving him._ She regretfully and forlornly acknowledged as she opened her eyes, staring ahead at a bend in the gravel path that turned down a row of tall hedges. _He's just some fox who was my partner on the force. He was a friend who I killed._

But as she rounded the dim corner and stared straight ahead at the end of the gravel pathway - where it connected with the concrete landing at the front of the hospital's main building - and the two mammals standing at the end of it, she couldn't help but feel another pulse of anguish beat from her heart.

 _He's more than that!_ A voice in her mind screamed at her, but she silenced it with hard and cold determination, turning her full attention towards the two mammals facing away from her.

"What happens now?" She coldly asked, and Chief Bogo and Doctor Zdanskyi both turned to look at her just as she strode up behind them. The Chief's stature was stiff and he had a gloomy and cautious expression on his face while Zdanskyi seemed more neutral and relaxed, just like he always did. It was almost rude given the circumstances.

"Ms. Hopps, how are you feeling?" Doctor Zdanskyi calmly asked with a slight inflection in his voice, and Judy glared at him without any kind of warmth or friendliness.

"You didn't answer my question," She noted, her voice menacingly raw, and Zdanskyi's ears and bright orange tail fell slightly along with the elation in his expression.

"My apologies," He formally apologized, his blue eyes suddenly holding a twinge of sadness and regret, and he opened the manila folder in his paw and began to flick through several sheets of paper. After several seconds of flicking past page after page he stopped, and a small frown became entrenched into his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Ms Hopps, but it appears that the forms I need you to sign weren't printed," He hurriedly explained, closing the manila folder and shoving it under his arm as he began to back away from her and Chief Bogo and towards the hospital's automatic doors a little ways down the concrete path. "I'll be right back."

Judy curtly nodded at the labcoat-clad tiger, who immediately turned around and began to brusquely walk down the concrete path. She turned away from him without a second thought, blankly staring at the empty parking lot in front of the concrete path as she took Zdanskyi's place beside Chief Bogo.

"Judith," Chief Bogo carefully began after several seconds of silence, shifting on his feet to face the parking lot alongside her. "We need to talk about what's going to happen with you."

"I don't think we do, sir," She coldly countered, turning her eyes to her side to stare at the Chief's grim face and clenched jaw. "I'm ready to return to duty. It's as simple as that."

"Just because you have on your uniform doesn't entitle you to determine whether or not you're-" Chief Bogo began, but Judy interrupted him before he could finish.

"Chief, we don't need to talk about Nick anymore," She hastily but calmly said, turning her gaze away from the Chief's annoyed and stern eyes suddenly looking down at her and back towards the parking lot. "I've settled my feelings with him. I've reached closure."

"In only a few minutes?" Chief Bogo questioned, his voice frustrated, and Judy clenched her jaw and flexed her arms that had orderly fallen behind her back earlier, annoyed by his stubbornness.

"In only _two years_ ," She coldly and harshly corrected, not bothering to turn towards her superior again and stiffening her ears as she carefully listened to the sounds around her. "The time it took doesn't matter. Only that I've reached closure."

"What kind of closure?" Chief Bogo gruffly questioned, his voice low and suspicious.

"A final one," Judy vaguely explained, not wanting to delve into the subject. "Nick's dead because I killed him. There's no point in being sad or guilty because of that; it's just something I'll have to live with."

The Chief remained quiet for several seconds, and in that time Judy turned even more of her attention away from him and towards her surroundings, focusing on the sound of rustling leaves and branches. She heard him open his mouth to speak, but words never came from him, and he stalked away from her without any kind of sound whatsoever. She could tell he was disappointed in her; but did she really care? No. He didn't know Nick like she did.

"There's no point in grovelling over who killed him, Chief," She called out to him without turning her stiff body away from the parking lot. "I did. That's the end of the story. I need to get back into the city, take up my position, and move on."

* * *

 **I'm more than confident that you can see where the story's direction is heading...**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 18 - February 14

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 6 - February 28

 **This chapter was last edited January 31, 2016**


	19. Chapter Eighteen - Resuscitation

**Honestly, I didn't know Nick was dead until I read the reviews and Private Messages sent to me.**

 **Wow...**

 **What a bummer...**

 **I really liked Nick, but oh well...**

 **Time to get this chapter (in my opinion the MOST IMPORTANT ONE) over with!**

* * *

Judy kept her attention focused away from the flashing lights and the muffled, crackling sounds of walkie-talkies being used coming from all around her. Her eyes and acute ears scanned the poor-looking crowd just beyond the thin, yellow strips of police tape that shut off the scene to the public

Behind her was a small warehouse that had been used as a distribution center in the stolen valuables trade. It was built in the rundown section of Savannah Central that bordered the huge canal that separated the city center from the outer districts. A little ways downriver was the Dolphlyn Bridge and Nick's warehouse, but she didn't bother looking in that direction. That was the past, and this was the present.

She had returned to Zootopia the same day she had visited Nick's grave, and the very next morning she had come into work normally. She had tried to act like her old self again and cover up what had happened, but she couldn't bring herself to smile, and in the past two days she had been nothing but quiet and reserved. Clawhauser seemed to know something emotionally traumatizing had happened to her, but he didn't press the issue and kept a respectful yet friendly distance from her. Aside from him, not many of the officers at the ZPD had seemed to notice her reserved attitude save for those who knew of what had happened. They had looked at her with sorrowful and regretful expressions and bent their heads in respect as they passed her, but she knew what hey were thinking deep down. She was the one who was guilty for killing Nick.

Surprisingly she hadn't thought about that much in the two days since she had returned from the MGRI. She had tried to keep her mind distracted, and most of the time that was fairly simple, but during times like this when she could only focus on monitoring groups of mammals her mind tended to wander. She wouldn't let that happen; not while she was on duty.

There was a tall white wolf in a turtleneck sweater that stood out in the otherwise short and poor-looking crowd, and Judy turned her full attention towards him and began to study him. He didn't look like he was doing anything illegal, but he did look suspicious as he intently watched the handcuffed hyenas and coyotes who ran the illegitimate business escorted from the building and to the cruisers surrounding the scene with both his paws in his jean's pockets. Was he the mastermind of the operation? An accomplice? Just some mammal passing through who had nothing to do with the criminals?

Before Judy could answer herself she felt a gentle hoof on her back, and she nearly jumped out of her fur at the unexpected touch. She instantly flew her eyes to stare at the mammal who was touching her, and for a brief second her eyes locked with the Chief's stern and dark ones.

She hadn't talked privately with her superior since their last conversation just outside of the MGRI, and as far as she knew he was still disturbed at how she _knew_ she was guilty for killing Nick. The one mammal she loved.

He didn't speak to her, instead only sending her a solemn nod that told her to abandon her post and to take a short break. She reluctantly nodded in acceptance, not wanting to follow his order but also not wanting to risk being sacked from the department for insubordination.

She strode away from him strongly, her body stiff and back completely straight, and she could feel his eyes incessantly boring into the back of her skull as she walked across the wide, concrete courtyard filled with both officers standing idle and those escorting suspects. It was only when she rounded the side of an armored BEAST van that she felt the burning touch of his eyes cease, and she breathed a light, almost silent sigh of relief.

But she still didn't feel even the slightest bit relaxed, even as she approached her own red-and-blue flashing cruiser and jumped up onto it to sit on the edge of its slanted hood with her feet dangling out into the air. She moved her paws beside to her sides for extra support and turned her gaze upwards to stare at the dark, early morning sky covered in every direction with clouds.

After several silent seconds that seemed to draw on for an eternity she quietly and curtly exhaled, and her expression became even more serious as her eyes fell downwards to stare at the ground.

The fact that she hadn't told both Voltaire and Finnick about Nick's death only added to the already expansive feeling of guilt plaguing her. That wasn't completely true, though; she had rung both the day of her return to the city, but only the former had answered her call. Voltaire seemed saddened and disheartened by the loss of who had been a longtime acquaintance and business partner to him, but when she revealed to him that she was to blame for her own partner's death he didn't seem to believe her. He'd come around eventually...

Yet her experience with Voltaire wouldn't be even a tenth as emotional as her talk with Finnick would be. The bartender had been one of the few members in Nick's social circle, but from what she remembered they had shared a more formal and business-like relationship than a friendly one, and while Nick and Finnick also shard a business relationship she could tell that they had been much, much closer as friends. It would probably tear his tiny heart in two that he was gone now - just like it had torn her heart to pieces.

As if on queue her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, and she pulled it out and hit the answer button without looking at its screen or moving her eyes up from the concrete below her. The quality of the call almost spurned her to hang up, because as soon as she moved the phone up to her ear all she could hear was the strained and quick breathing of Finnick. She could only guess that he was drunk when he had heard her message to call her back and was still hammered right now.

"Morning, Finnick," She formally greeted as she straightened herself and rose her eyes off of the concrete to stare at the side of the BEAST van opposite her cruiser. The short fox didn't say anything back to her, but she heard a subtle change in his breathing over the immense static so that it almost sounded like he was hysterically wheezing. She stiffened her already erect ears, alarmed by the muffled sounds coming from the other end of the line.

"Finnick, did Voltaire tell you what happened?" Judy asked, taking a moment to listen for an answer, but when none came she continued. "If you need a moment just tell me."

The hysterical wheezing coming from the other end of the line suddenly erupted into equally hysterical yet grief-stricken laughter, and Judy frowned in alarm and worry. Finnick hadn't taken the news well.

But before she could tell him about her guilt in the crime his laughter cut short and subsided into hysterically sad giggles. The tone of his strained voice changed completely in a mere instant, no longer sounding like him, and Judy felt her eyes widen in steady realization as she listened to the changed voice speak.

"I'm not _that_ easy to get rid of, Sweetheart," It weakly said between heavy wheezes.

* * *

Nick sat on the darkness, stared at the darkness, lived in the darkness. But this time the darkness also stared back at him much colder and emptier than it had been before. It wasn't the same darkness that had surrounded him, from what it had felt like to him, an eternity prior. It was even darker and number than that. It was the darkness that signaled the end of his Primal Self _and_ the end of him.

He was on his knees, his back hunched and his head hanging limply from his neck. His eyes were bulging from their sockets and his jaw was clamped shut to the point where his teeth ached. He still felt the killing pain in every corner of his body. He didn't have the strength to fight it, either. His body had been convulsed and ripped apart with such painful intensity that he found he could barely raise his head without grinding his teeth and clenching his paws into fists.

But the physical damage to him couldn't even compare to what he was suffering mentally. His body had lost all its life, but his emotions had been so horrendously scarred that even the slightest thought of his partner brought tears to his unblinking eyes. Even now as he limply kneeled in the eternal blackness tears were dripping down onto the cold darkness directly under his head.

 _I touched her..._ He thought with raw and powerful despair, his jaw muscles giving out so that his mouth was limply hanging open. He didn't have the strength to hold it shut anymore.

 _I was there..._ He continued, his mind still in a state of miserable shock. _I was back by her side..._

 _"And now you're not,"_ A dark voice called out from the blackness. _"Times change, and mammals die."_

"But it was me," Nick weakly commented, partially raising his head upwards as his eyes traveled along the blackness endlessly stretching out before him. "I won. I was with her again."

 _"Like I said before, times change,"_ The dark voice continued, its tone becoming contently sinister. _"Now, then, let's talk about your_ friend _Judy."_

"She was more than that," Nick painfully corrected, raising his head up further so that he was staring straight ahead into the nothingness as the incessant yet tiny tide of silent tears dripping from his eyes rolled down his cheeks. "I loved her. And she loved me."

 _"And where has that love taken you now?"_ The voice harshly yet honestly questioned. _"It's what's hurting you. It's what_ killed _you. It's brought you nothing but pain!"_

"That's wrong," Nick corrected yet again, beginning to find it painful to even speak, and a small, toothy smile crawled onto his otherwise miserable face. "Love is a blessing."

 _"Not for you, it wasn't,"_ The voice angrily argued as its volume raised. _"It didn't do you any favors over your_ pitiful _existence. It was love that drove you away from emotion with the death of your mother, and whether you realized it or not it was love that drove you to truly feel again. That is, feel_ pain! _Don't you remember the times when you worked in the underbelly, when all you cared about was profit margins and sticking it to the system? That was a time without love, without heartbreak-"_

"But that was leading me down a criminal path!" Nick weakly protested as he began to pathetically wheeze, the tears streaming down his cheeks only growing in number. "It was Judy who I feel in love with! She's the one who changed me!"

 _"Changed you by_ killing _you,"_ The voice furiously continued, audibly frustrated. _"We're finished with our little talk. You're dead_ _and separated from her forever. What you're feeling for her is only going to make this eternity even more unbearable; so just let her die. Stop loving her."_

Nick felt his jaw drop and eyes grow even wider at the voice's command, and for several seconds he remained absolutely silent, disturbed by the notion of ending his feelings for the one mammal he loved. He hadn't loved any other mammal more than her, ever. He couldn't just give up on her in an instant! But the voice had a point, even if it was a radical and disturbing one. Maybe the end _had_ come. Maybe it was time for him to just give in.

"Don't make me," He quietly and pathetically begged to himself, overwhelmed by fear and loss and a thousand other emotions. "I don't want to. I _love_ her."

 _"Not anymore,"_ The voice coolly reminded, its tone suddenly calm and almost soothing. _"What other choice do you have?"_

Nick remained silent for several seconds, trying to find a reason - any reason - to go against the voice. But no matter what perspective he thought from he couldn't come up with a counter, and he hung is head to defeat as his already deathly limp ears became even more so.

"None," He unemotionally answered, his eyes slowly closing shut as a subtle numbness consumed his body. His exhaustion was too great for him to remain sitting for any longer, and he let physics follow its constant path and pull him downwards onto the blackness. It was even colder than before, and he let the feeling consume him completely.

Without opening his eyes he rolled onto his back and let a massive, toothy, and utterly wretched smile take its place on his face. He began to sadly wheeze again, his breaths no more than difficult huffs, and he moved his paws up to forcefully press into his eyes just as he let loose a dismal sound. At first it was quiet, but he quickly raised it so that it reflected the torturous feeling all over his body as much as a sound could resemble such an emotion. The last tears held within him flowed out of him during the scream, and when his sad wheezes returned all he could feel was the cold beneath him and his cheeks damp with half-dried tears.

"I'm so sorry, Carrots," He weakly and regretfully apologized, his voice filled with absolute agony, and bit by bit he felt the warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart begin to fall out of him and into the darkness below like a boat sinking into the darkest depths of the ocean.

"I'm so sorry..." He quietly and miserably continued, his words trailing off as the last of his strength faded into nonexistence. The warm sight of his partner's devious yet warm and loving face began to disappear from his mind's eye, and along with it went the last of his feelings for her. Her long ears, her twitching nose, her puffy cheeks, and her gorgeous eyes - oh, god, they were beautiful - all faded into the blackness in his head one by one. She vanished from his mind completely, as if he had never met or fallen in love with her at all, and the last holdouts of his body fell to the coldness consuming him just as the last of her grey fur disappeared.

"Sorry-" He choked out as his scrawny, ragged form began to flick in and out of existence, and he barely heard the dark voice echoing from the darkness growl in content as he let his paws fall limply to his sides. His tired eyes were still tightly shut, but he carelessly cracked them open, feeling no need to keep them closed for any longer. The blackness below was pulling him downward. Where he was going that one color would be all he'd ever see.

But the darkness stopped its advance, and the coldness halted along with it. A tornado of heat, almost like an oven, was suddenly swirling around his body, and the unmistakable sight and crackling sounds of fire surrounded him from all directions.

Nick felt his eyes grow in astonishment at the spectacle, but he was too emotionally dead to be curious or worried about it. He pulled himself up from the black, letting its tendrils that had curled around him break and fall into the fire now forming a dome around him, and he weakly stood up with his back hunched and trembling arms out to his sides to provide the extra support necessary to keep himself out of the flickering flames nipping at his equally orange fur poking out through the rips and tears of his uniform he had donned for all these years.

The flames were whispering to him, and Nick intently listened, his wet cheeks drying from the heat coming from them. A calm, feminine voice echoed from the fire, and he was almost tempted to step closer to the familiar sound. It was soothing and sweet, but it wasn't his partner's.

Realization slammed into Nick like a freight train, and a terrified expression made its way onto his face as the flames continued to roar in upheaval. He had been here before. The fire, the cold, the soothing voice, all useless on their own, but when they were put together...

He was back in the car. He was so young and naive at the time. He was arguing with her over something stupid, and she turned down to yell at his defiant face. But she made and mistake, and they were hit head on by an unseen truck. Their car went flying, and when it landed it hit a brick wall and erupted into all-consuming flames. He felt its sharp bite from one end of his body to the other, and he feebly crawled out of the crushed vehicle with a bruised head. He limped around the hood of the car, trying to find her among the burning wreckage. He scrambled towards the driver's door, pulling back pieces of malformed metal and yanking the door open with all his might.

But it had been too late for him to do anything. She was laying there, looking up at him with a smile, pinned underneath her own seat as fire consumed her legs and the worn black dress she was wearing. There was a gash at the top of her forehead, and a steady stream of deadly, dark red blood was streaming down the side of her unworried, calm, and above all love-filled face.

"Mom?" Nick breathed, his voice as unstable as an earthquake yet as weak as a tremor. He whirled his head around in all directions, his body once again filled with energy, and his eyes scoured the flames, searching for the slender figure he knew was blending into them.

"Nick," A dainty voice lightly called out from behind him, and Nick whirled his head around to face in the direction it had come from. He stared into the flames intently, his mouth hanging open in grief-filled awe and his body trembling in fear and nervousness as the heat swirling all around him dried his already watering eyes.

A figure began to take shape out of the fire, and Nick watched as the mass drifted out of the flames with angelic grace. The fire seemed to flow around her, connecting her to the flames and making her float above the blackness as if she was unable to touch it. She was just as stunning as he remembered her, and her dark green eyes stood out from the fire like emeralds in a dark mine.

Nick couldn't bring himself to move a muscle, and he stood motionlessly in a complete state of shock even as her arms curled around his neck and an unconditionally loving smile became rooted into her face.

"It's good to see you again, my big, strong fox," The flame-cloaked figure warmly yet quietly greeted, her green eyes filled with amusement and love as they stared into Nick's shocked and glossed ones. "Look at how much you've grown."

"Mom-" Nick choked out, moving his paws upwards to shakily grip the fox's burning forearms. His whole body felt like it was on fire, which it almost certainly was, and the almost unbearable heat passed up the sides of his face as his mother's paws traveled up from his neck to gently rests against the sides of his face, her thumbs gently stroking his ever-so-slightly damp cheeks.

"I'm so sorry-" He tried to say, but his words were slurred and crackly, and he forced himself to stop mid-sentence. He couldn't decide what he was feeling. All he knew was that is was miserable yet joyous but overall overwhelmingly passionate. It was as if a civil war was being waged inside his head.

"I- I never think about you..." He continued, his voice just as shaky as before, and he could feel the water that had built up in his eyes dripping down and sizzling on his mother's flaming paw. "I- I- I try not to- I- I-"

"Love me?" The figure finished for him, her smile only growing, and Nick weakly nodded in conformation. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

His mother's gaze fell in sadness, yet her smile remained on her face, and Nick opened his mouth to explain himself. But before he could utter even a word her gaze traveled back up from the darkness to stare into his, and she leaned in towards his face as her burning paws wiped away the tears continuing to fall from his wide eyes.

"Nick," She gently began, raising an eyebrow in jovial suspicion. "If you love me, then why haven't you thought about me?"

"Because it hurts," Nick choked out, gripping her burning arms even tighter as his legs violently trembled in both physical and emotional exhaustion. "I can't think about you because... because-"

"I'll stop you right there, my beautiful son," Ms. Wilde soothingly said, moving one of her fingers to rest against the end of his muzzle. "Do you remember what I told you in my final moments?"

"That you loved me," Nick barely breathed, his voice plagued with grief as more water began to well up in his miserable eyes.

"And what did you tell me?" She continued, hovering a little closer towards him.

"That I loved you," He answered a little louder yet just as dejected as a fragment of a repressed memory flew into his mind, and he saw them both sitting with one another, their paws gripped together, as the flames consumed everything around them. "I still do..."

Nick felt his mother's paws tighten around his cheeks and the sides of his face, and her flaming green eyes slowly became glossed with emotional tears that gently rolled down her burning cheeks. She leaned even further towards him, her expression remaining joyous even as a small twinge of melancholy pushed its way onto it.

"Nick, you're not the stubborn little fox that I raised," She lovingly commented, the tears in her eyes drying up as the flames consuming her face forced them to evaporate. "You've grown up. When I died, Nick, it was your love for me that drove you away and onto the streets, and when you worked in the underworld it was your love of money that kept you there. But it was when you lost it all that you realized you loved your life, and that's what pulled you away from a life of crime. When you met Judith it was only a matter of time before you fell in love, and whether you realized it or not it was your love for her that brought you back to the good side of society."

"But none of that matters now, doesn't it?" Nick rhetorically choked out between wheezes weighted down with sadness as a melancholy, tooth smile took hold on his face. "I'm dead, Mom. No love can bring me back from the dead."

"Can't it?" Ms. Wilde questioned, her voice a little rougher than it had been before and her expression stern. She was visibly frustrated by his cynicism. "Haven't you ever wondered why you suddenly 'woke up' after Judith was reunited with your body?"

Nick feebly shook his head, his mind suddenly intrigued by the question while his eyes didn't dare to move from his mother's, and she brusquely and strongly nodded at him.

"It was the blossoming of your love for her into a romantic feeling that brought you back from the dead," She passionately explained, love pouring out of her voice and eyes as fresh water built up in them only to be immediately evaporated. "It's been your love for her that's changed you! Don't you see that?"

At first Nick didn't know how to respond. He could hardly believe what his mother was telling him. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something in protest or doubt, but before he could his mother's expression changed yet again. Her eyes flicked shut and she leaned further towards him, moving her paws up from the sides of his face to rest on his temples with her thumbs on his forehead. He watched her calm and concentrated face with silent curiosity and nervousness, but he gasped in surprise and awe as his vision was stolen away.

It was replaced with memories. Hundreds of them - thousands of them - from all moments of his life. Year by year his childhood flew past him, filled with youth and happiness and without a trouble in the world. Then he changed; he was muzzled, and a little bit of love left him. Over the years more love slipped out of him, and sometimes a little of it would return to his worn body, but never completely like it had been in his joyous youth. But then something changed.

He met Judy, and he felt a warm, bubbly feeling consume his frozen heart. Love began to return to his body, coming in wave after glorious wave as the memories of the Night Howler Incident and his career with her flew by. He saw himself leaving for Arctic One, and then he relived his death. It was utterly horrible, but soon he found himself face to face with his dumb bunny again, and his heart leaped with joy only to be crushed again when the all too familiar darkness returned.

But it wasn't what he saw that left his mind bewildered and inspired; it was what he realized. His mother was right. Love was the main factor - the only factor, in fact - that had led him through his life's story to stand here, in the unending darkness. Yet it wasn't unending; just as his memories caught up to him now as he stood with his mother the darkness lifted for a mere instant, and beyond it was light. Beyond it was life. There was hope hidden somewhere within the depths of the blackness, and that hope was his dumb bunny.

"Mom," Nick gently began in understanding, the curtain of shock from his mind lifted, but before he could speak any further Ms. Wilde shoved her forehead against his. He widened his eyes in surprise as he stared at her still closed eyes, the green life within them shadowed by flames and plagued by tears that miraculously began to drip down from her face and onto his. Her arms and legs began to tremor horrendously, and the fiery dome that surrounded her elevated form embracing his now strengthened body began to flicker and die, as if its passion was being extinguished.

"Nick..." His mother barely breathed, her voice weak and trembling. "I can't stay for any longer. My power's waning. I- I- I love you, Nicholas. Now make me proud and love Judith."

"Mom," Nick gently yet worriedly began, a careful expression coming onto his face as his paws moved up from her trembling arms to rest against the sides of her face. "I love you too. I always have! And I saw the light! There's a way to bring myself back to life, isn't there?"

"Yes," Ms. Wilde painfully answered, her eyes slowly opening to reveal two sad yet proud emeralds as the dome of fire became extinguished around the two of them. "It's not moral or natural to go against death, but you have the strength and, more importantly, the love to do so. You're going to have to beat your Primal Self. If you do that, then you'll be reunited with Judy."

"I can do that, Mom," Nick hurriedly reassured with a farewelling smile, only now noticing that his mother's fiery form was retreating up to her face. "I'll do it for you and Judy. I love you."

A weak smile came onto Ms Wilde's face the second before the last of her burning body disappeared, and she pressed against his forehead a little harder and gently shut her proud and tired eyes in the same instant her flame-covered face burned out. Nick was alone again, his paws that had been clutching the sides' of his mother's face only a second before now only raised out in the darkness a few inches in front of him.

"See you later, mom," He lightly said as a small smirk took its place on his face. He felt both depressed yet satisfied with his mother's and his relationship, but above all he still loved her.

" _Love is what killed you,_ " A dark and savage voice coming from behind him rudely commented, and Nick whirled around to face the direction it had come from with a stern and cold expression, his eyes radiating out every degree of fire that had transferred out of his mother's burning body and that was now fueling his wounded heart.

It didn't even take him a half-second to spot where the voice had come from. Not even twenty feet away from him was his Primal Self, with its thin and ravaged body sprawled out on the cold blackness while its freezing eyes were staring directly into his. Its head was raised in a wary position and no emotion other than brooding neutrality was present on its face.

" _You!_ " Nick snarled, feeling the fire inside him driving him forward several steps towards his Primal Self's dirty and messy form. "You're the one who took me away from Judy!"

" _I am,_ " His Primal Self calmly acknowledged, its voice coming from its mouth yet its lips remaining absolutely still, and it raised from its lay to stand on all fours, its head bent downwards as its face continued to lack any kind of revealing emotion. " _But I am you, Nick. Have you forgotten that? I'm that one voice in your head who keeps you in line, who keeps you_ safe _. You have no one to blame for bringing you here but yourself._ "

"That's true, but _I'm_ the one whose setting things straight," Nick passionately growled, moving his right foot in front of him as he raised his paws, now clenched into fists, into a fighting stance. "I need love in my life. I need _Judy_. More than anything else in the whole universe. _You're_ the only obstacle blocking my path to her."

" _If you want to see her again then'll you'll have to kill me,_ " His Primal Self maliciously informed, the first signs of fury and hate forming on its face as its lips pulled back in a snarl and as its head bent lower towards the ground in its own fighting stance.

"Then I'll kill you," Nick countered, raising up on his toes to provide maximum mobility as memories of years of hand-to-hand combat training on the force poured back into his mind. His Primal Self only snarled in response, its sharp and pearly white teeth now openly bared as its head fell lower towards the ground and as its muscles tensed. Its green eyes were like blocks of arctic ice while his were like furnaces fueled by gasoline, yet neither of them could subdue the other just by staring and ebbing away at the other's morale. They were both too passionate to be that easily overcome.

Nick stood in silence for several seconds, waiting for his Primal Self to make the first move so he could counter, but no attack came. His Primal Self was using the same strategy he was.

Nick growled in annoyance and anger, still wary of making the first move, but the fire within him drove him forward and he soon found himself sprinting towards the fox he had grown to hate with his fists clenched out just in front of his chest, ready to strike.

In the same instant he decided to make a move his Primal Self did as well, bunching its leg muscles and leaping at him with its sharpened claws extended out in front of it and its mouth wide open, ready to snap shut as soon as he overextended himself. It was driven by its own forces of hate and malice.

They met exactly halfway between one another. Nick couldn't get a swing on its face without risking injuring himself so he settled on gripping his Primal Self's shoulders with his unsheathed claws in the instant before its body and jaws collided with him. All the momentum it had built up from its initial leap was dissipated into nothing, and his Primal Self scrambled for a moment in midair before landing on its hind legs and slamming its claws into his shoulders to mimic his own stance and balance itself.

Nick visibly gritted his teeth in pain as his Primal Self tore into his shoulders, pulling flesh from bone, but he forced his mind and face to remain calm. No matter how hard he pushed against the blackness beneath his feet, his Primal Self wouldn't budge, and he violently squeezed its shoulders with his claws in frustration. Blood began to well up from the punctures around his own shoulders, and he underneath his claws he could feel his Primal Self's blood doing the same.

His Primal Self sneered at him, its jaw snapping at his noes mere inches away from it, but Nick kept a careful distance. He'd have to be careful if he ever wanted to see Judy again, but what he was doing now was a waste of energy and life.

A small surge of fire burst from within his chest as he pushed his Primal Self away from him, and the bleeding, vicious fox stumbled back several feet, still remaining on its hind legs with its back partially bent over and its tired eyes focused towards the blackness.

Nick threw himself forward again, intent on throwing his Primal Self to the floor, but his opponent threw himself back into him in the same instant he collided with him, their paws connecting with one another's shoulders again and drawing more and more blood out and onto their furs. They were like animals fighting over a kill.

" _We're too evenly matched,_ Nick _,_ " His Primal Self sneered, an evil smile coming onto its face to accompany its already vile expression and savage gaze. " _We'll be here for an eternity!_ "

"I'm not quite sure I believe you," Nick passionately grumbled through clenched teeth, the furnace in his chest now running twice as intense as it had been before. "It's been you who my indecisiveness and fear's been feeding. But I'm not scared anymore, and I've made a final decision. To kill you!"

Suddenly Nick gained the upper hand in their duel, his strength almost doubling as images of his partner and her long, slender ears and soft, grey fur flew by his mind's eye. It was her who was fanning the flames inside him, and by god she was going to be the force that brought him back.

Finally his Primal Self made a mistake, taking a step backward to try and regain his balance and launch a counterattack, and Nick threw all his weight forward in the instant that his Primal Self's foot was in the air. His opponent snarled in anger and fell backwards, its claws coming off of his shoulders to try and catch itself, but its attempts at softening its impact were futile and its body collided with the hard blackness with a sickening thud.

Nick took another opportunity and fell with his Primal Self, landing on top of its chest with his legs straddled over either side of it. All he could think about was his partner as he rained down punch after hard punch onto his Primal Self's smiling face. He didn't even notice his opponent had feebly raised his bloodied paws to try and stop the blows until the horrifying sound of its jaw cracking entered his alerted ears.

Nick felt his eyes widen at the sound, and he took a moment to stop his barrage and stare down at his Primal Self's broken face. It was bloodied and bruised from its ears to its neck, and its jaw was twisted and snapped at the halfway mark so that it more resembled a mass of flesh and teeth than a functioning body part. Yet a smile was still on its face. A mocking smile that dared him to attack again, as if it wasn't afraid to absorb even more blows.

Suddenly the beautiful image of his partner's round, soft face disappeared from his mind's eye, and he began his attack again as the love fueling his fire began to transform into hate. He _despised_ his Primal Self more than Prophit or Bellwether or any other mammal he had ever met. It was the savage force who had done him the most harm, and he had willingly taken it. But now, in his final moment of triumph, he could enact the revenge he had only now realized he desired so very much.

Yet as his brutal strikes continued and the raw feeling of hate flourished inside him the fire in his chest that fueled every ounce of his worn body began to die, and little by little he felt himself become weaker and weaker, the furnace in his chest now cold. His teeth were bared in a brutal, furious snarl, and he became outraged as his Primal Self began to wheeze in laughter, rudely mocking him. He wanted to rip its throat out.

But as soon as he opened his serrated mouth and forced his gaping bite towards his opponent's exposed throat his Primal Self surged up from underneath him, its defeated attitude and mocking expression merely a rouse to get him to overextend himself.

Nick realized his mistake too late, and as his Primal Self flipped him and landed on top of him he scrambled against its broken body, scratching against it with his front claws while he tried to snap at its throat with his still furiously snarling mouth. But he was too weak to even pierce his Primal Self's fur, and the monstrous fox on top of him began to respond to his attacks in kind.

Nick howled in pain as his Primal Self raked his claws down his stomach and chest, feeling gashes all across him beginning to spill blood onto the blackness. He lifted up his right paw to try and push away the snapping jaws merely inches in front of his throat, but felt the sharpened teeth of his Primal Self wrap around it and tear his flesh from his bone. Nick howled in pain again, refusing to close his eyes and ignore what was happening, and he jerked his paw out of his Primal Self's furious and blood-craving mouth. His opponent's teeth tore at his paw one last time as he withdrew, nicking an artery and making blood pour from his wrist like water from a waterfall.

Not even a moment later his Primal Self's broken jaw was clenching down on his throat, and Nick thrashed in defiance, trying to shake the fox on top of him off him. His Primal Self tightened its grip around his throat the more he struggled, only drawing more blood and making it even more difficult for him to breath. Blood began to flood out of his gashes as he threw himself back and forth against the blackness, but gradually his attempts at escape became weaker and weaker, until he was merely rocking himself back and forth.

He felt tired, defeated, but above all dejected. He had been so close to winning - to breaking free -

" _And you still are!_ " A familiar, motherly voice screamed at him, and Nick weakly perked his ears and widened his half-closed eyes. " _You let_ it _enrage you! Your Primal Self made you hate it, and it used that hate to gain the upper paw! Use love! Get back on top!_ "

Nick wasn't sure if he nodded or not, but he felt a sense of solemn resolve flood over him at the voice and followed its command. Blood was pouring from him, draining him of the last of what little life he had left, but regardless he began to snap at his Primal Self's head that was mere inches in front of his jaw. He summoned up all the strength he could from his body when he finally landed a bite, and with as much power as he could muster he tore whatever he had bitten down on from his Primal Self's head.

His opponent let go of his throat, and Nick gasped for breath, clamoring for air through all the blood pouring out onto the blackness. When he finally regained enough consciousness to see what he had ripped off his Primal Self was midway through a pain-filled howl. All that remained of his left ear was a bloodied mess of fur and flesh.

" _Now!_ " The motherly voice screamed at him, and Nick let loose a vicious snarl before he obeyed the command. His jaws connected with his Primal Self's throat, cutting short its howl, and with renewed fire he surged up from underneath his opponent and threw him onto the ground as if he was a recently-made kill. His Primal Self snapped at him with its malformed jaw, utter hatred radiating out from its eyes, but Nick stood his ground, all four of his paws digging into the lifeless blackness below him to provide maximum support.

He could feel the fire from that fateful night in his childhood all over again. It was swirling all around him, invisible yet still just as hot as it had been before. But something was different about it this time; over the sounds of his struggled heartbeats and his Primal Self's writhing he heard whispers.

" _And I won't admit I love you..._ " The motherly voice gently sang, and Nick could feel his eyes widen slightly as he felt two warm, invisible paws grab his own.

" _And that I would die for you..._ " The voice continued, and Nick tightened his grip around his Primal Self's throat, feeling even more blood oozing out of it.

" _And I waited, waited for you..._ " The voice soothingly sang, yet his Primal Self continued to thrash and snap at his face, on occasion nicking his ear with its serrated teeth.

" _Here, waited to promise you..._ "

Nick could feel the love and warmth of that moment flowing through his body, reigniting the furnaces within his chest, and his bite around his Primal Self's throat tightened even more to the point where he was expecting its head to snap clean off.

" _Oh my body laid down for yours..._ "

The beast formerly in control of his body continued to snap at him, the hate within its ugly green eyes just as strong as it had been before, yet as more and more of its blood seeped from between Nick's teeth and as more and more of its flesh and veins were torn fear began to take hold.

" _And I came close for you..._ "

Nick was barely conscious, the scratches along his underbelly and wrist and the horrific gash in his throat continuing to drain him of life, but he didn't notice the pain. He couldn't feel it. All he could sense in his wounded body was the heat of the fire inside and the euphoric grasp of love driving it.

" _And the world fell two for two..._ "

His Primal Self was still snapping at him, and Nick stared directly into its scared and hateful eyes with a sullen and tired expression, and just as fear completely consumed its expression he tightened his grip around its throat that little bit more.

" _But I'll be here, ready to fall with you..._ " The motherly voice sang, its words ending on a low note, and Nick stood completely still, his eyes unseeing and body unfeeling.

The fox in his jaws was dead; its eyes glossed, revealing no hate or pain or any other emotion other than the fear of death. Nick dropped his Primal Self's torn body onto the blackness, his jaw with bloodied teeth wide open as he struggled for each breath. His body was beyond tired; it was just as dead as the fox's in front of him, and with pained, struggled movements Nick rose from all fours and straightened his hunched back, his eyes no more than halfway open.

He turned down to look at his shivering form slowly, as if he was afraid to see what had happened, but as he looked over his torn, bloodied uniform with patches of his torn, bloodied skin visible through it a small smile took control of his face, and it was accompanied by the strongest sense of love he had ever felt. It was raw, as passionate as a dying star, and uncompromised in any way. It was utterly perfect.

"I did it, Mom," Nick barely breathed, his eyes slowly and lazily blinking as he turned his gaze up to stare straight ahead, past what remained of his Primal Self, just as the remainder of his life slipped from his grasp. One last moment of euphoria washed over him, and he basked in it like a flower in a midnight sun.

His mind became ethereal as his limp body fell forward onto the blackness, but the color shattered as he collided with it, revealing white in every direction. It was a pure white akin to that of what he would've expected to see in heaven, and he felt warmed by its touch.

Velvety paws wrapped around him, and he could feel the soft press of a mammal's tuft of fur on his chin. He didn't know who was hugging him, and he couldn't even speculate on who it was. His mind was on a different level of existence, free of thought and ideas and any other emotion besides love. But from the endless white branching out in every direction he heard a voice echoing just beside his ear.

" _Congratulations, Nick,_ " The voice emotionally whispered, and Nick smiled just a little bit more at the pride held within it.

Slowly the paws wrapped around his body retreated, and the tuft of fur tickling his nose ran with them. The endless white gradually faded until it became a soft grey, just like his partner's stunningly soft fur, before it darkened even more to a medium grey, then a dark grey, and finally to black. The endless darkness had returned.

Yet it wasn't endless, nor was it black.

It was simply the darkness of a place devoid of sunlight, and as Nick weakly stroked it he could feel its plastic edge. It felt like a fabric, and he feebly raised his paws from whatever grainy surface he was lying on and pushed against the material. There was something beyond it that was crushing him and preventing air from reaching his drained lungs, and at first he couldn't find any deformities in the surface as his paws gently wandered against it, but as time went on he found what felt to be a zipper.

Nick felt his half-closed, tired eyes widen slightly as he realized where he was, and he moved his pained, almost numb arm up to the furthest end of the body bag and slowly zipped it open. Dirt began to rain down on him immediately, and soon the entire interior of the half-opened bag was filled with dampened earth.

Nick struggled against the tide, closing his eyes and firmly clenching his mouth shut, and with whatever strength in his weary body he could muster he began to dig through it. His lungs screamed for air, but his pace was constant, his paws steadily pulling and pushing dirt as he forced himself out of the tight opening he had made in the bag and through the tons of dirt atop him.

After what seemed to be an eternity of painfully slow digging his paws broke through the surface, and Nick struggled through the last few feet of dirt and burst through the churned earth gasping for breath.

The air was cool and fresh, and it almost hurt his fragile lungs. A gentle breeze blew past his dirt filled ears, and through the dirt covering his eye sockets he could just make out dim light. With a new wave of strength he shook the earth covering his face and pushed himself out of his grave further so that his chest and head were completely out in the open.

His vision was cloudy and shaky, but as he slowly turned his vision in a circle around him he could still see everything. He was at the edge of a forest, and above him was the endless night sky, with its stars like pearls in the ocean. It was beautiful. Clouds were retreating far off, no doubt the source of rain that had dampened the earth around him.

But as soon as his gaze turned up to the sky it fell back down. Straight ahead of him, past darkened, fuzzy hedges, was the unmistakable glare of artificial light, pouring out of the windows of a massive, white and grey building only a few hundred feet away from him.

He smiled in joy and weariness at the sight, and the numbness in his lower section began to be slowly replaced by pain and stiffness. His heart began to beat faster and faster, speeding up from its previously deathly slow pace, and it almost felt like it was thawing, sending another wave of pain through his body. Yet he wasn't worried by it at all, and as his vision improved and the world around him became less and less fuzzy he smiled.

"Well, world," He jokingly began as the image of a certain rabbit took completely control of his mind. "I'm back. Now where's my sly bunny?"

* * *

 **Aside from the negativity from the past few chapters, life's great! While I do think it's far from perfect, this is the chapter i am most proud of.**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 19 - February 28

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 6 - February 28

 **This chapter was last edited February ?, 2016**


	20. Chapter Nineteen - Heated

**SO...**

 **Either you** ** _liked_** **or** ** _hated_** **the previous chapter. If you hated it, then stop reading. I ain't on this site to hear rude complaints. But if you enjoyed it, then congratulations!**

 **You've suffered your way through the entire length of my story! And now we're on the last chapter! How** ** _exciting_** **!**

 **I dislike using the adjective "supernatural" to describe the contents of Chapter 18, but that's what it kind of was, wasn't it? I've had this idea in my head for almost** ** _9_** ** _months_** **about how to reach the climax for this damned story, and that was it. Poof.**

 **I'd just like to add that the "supernatural" kind of feeling will** ** _not_** **return.**

 **Well, I'm done rambling. Let's just wrap this story up, shall we?**

* * *

"Hold up," Finnick aggressively interrupted, his voice audibly enraged and confused even through the weak strength of the call. "So you telling me that Nicky _ain't_ dead? Cause I just got off the phone with V and he has a very different story. What kind of game you playing, rabbit?"

"I'm not playing any kind of game!" Judy frantically explained as she paced back and forth across the MGRI's third floor lobby. Fresh sunlight streamed in from the corner windows only a few feet away from her, turning her tight police uniform a shade of light blue. "Nick isn't dead! He called me!"

"With what?" Finnick asked, his voice filled with suspicion, disbelief, and above all rudeness. If he were standing in front of her Judy swore she'd tackle him to the floor.

"With his phone!" She yelled into her own phone she was holding right next to her stiffened ear. Panic and annoyance were building up inside of her already shaky voice. She didn't have time to explain this story all over again just because he didn't believe her!

"I told you this already!" She frantically grumbled, a small frown becoming furrowed into her otherwise panicked and nervous face as she quickened her pacing. "I left it at his grave here at the institute when he died! And a few days later, after I left you that message to call me back, I got a call while on duty! I didn't bother checking who it was; I just assumed it was you! But it was Nick. I swear on my honor as an officer of the city it was _him_."

"And how do you know it was him and not just some random mammal?" Finnick argued, fully-fledged rage and an overwhelming amount of disbelief in his voice. Judy could feel herself beginning to tremble with rage at the short fox's stubbornness. What had she ever done to lose his trust? Would she have to text him a _photo_ of Nick just to get him to believe her?

"Because I know!" She violently screamed, her teeth clenching against one another as her frustration with the situation became visible on her face. Finnick didn't respond to her outburst, instead remaining eerily silent on the other end of the line.

" _Ahem_ ," A startled and almost disgusted voice called out from another part of the lobby, and Judy whirled around on her toes and stared across the L-shaped room at the flawlessly white front desk just beside the floor's elevators. Sitting at the desk's computer was a female elk in a white uniform. Her huge eyes were staring right through her like two arrows, and a frown was entrenched on her forehead. Judy awkwardly smiled in apology and walked away from the floor-to-ceiling windows she had been pacing in front of and jumped up onto the rhino-sized blue hospital chair at the end of a row of similar chairs that took up the entirety of the lobby's open space.

A small part of her screamed at her to yell back at the elk. The mammal she had killed had risen from the dead; what did some hospital receptionist know about what she had been through? Nothing, was the answer! She had all the reason in the world to be as loud as she wanted!

 _She's just doing her job, Judy._ Judy calmly thought to herself, silencing the rageful voice, as she lowered her rear end to uncomfortably sit on the edge of the oversized chair. _Right now you don't have time to be angry. Just focus on Finnick. Calm yourself._

"You still there, Finn?" Judy carefully asked, and she heard a muffled grumble from the other end of the line.

"Good," She apologetically said, turning her eyes up from the floor to intently scan the dark green forest and mid-afternoon sky just beyond the panes of glass in front of her.

"Listen, Finn," She delicately began after several seconds of strained silence. She could still feel her friend's disbelief radiating through her phone. "I know its a lot to take in, but it's the truth. I'm here. Chief Bogo's coming here when he has an opening. Doctor Zdanskyi, who's helped Nick, is here. We're all here, and somewhere here with us is Nick. I'm more than positive."

The other end of the line remained completely silent, and Judy let loose a sigh of disappointment as her ears fell behind her head in worry.

"How's he doing?" Finnick suddenly asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. Judy perked her ears at the sound of his tired and worried voice, and she smiled as her eyes scanned the forest beyond the glass with reinvigorated intensity.

"I don't know," She admitted, a new sense of insecurity washing over her, and she gripped the edge of her seat with her left paw as her feet began to nervously swing back and forth. "I've been here for twelve hours. You'd think that someone would tell me how's he's doing."

"Yeah," Finnick acknowledged with a dry chuckle, his voice now sounding just as worried as hers. "Tell me about what's happened there."

"Not alo-" Judy began, but the sound of a lock turning and a door opening drew her attention and gaze away from the window and phone and towards her left. The lobby had three doors leading out of it excluding the ones behind the front desk; the elevators, the stairs, and the massive windowless ones that led into the bowels of the hospital. It was the ones leading into the hospital that had opened, and in the doorway there stood an old tiger in a flawlessly white labcoat.

"I have to go, Finnick," Judy frantically said in farewell, taking her phone away from her ear as she slipped off the chair, her eyes never leaving Doctor Zdanskyi's tired gaze. She hurriedly walked towards the tall figure who had only now just finished scanning the deserted lobby, and in the second before she hung up her phone and shoved it back into her front pocket she heard Finnick yell something in protest, but she didn't have time to talk with him anymore. She'd just have to call him back once she had finished talking with Zdanskyi.

"Doctor Zdanskyi, how's he doing?" She hurriedly asked from across the room, feeling nervous and worried and guilty and a hundred other emotions.

"Ms. Hopps, it's good to see you," Doctor Zdanskyi casually greeted, his paws moving from his sides to grip one another behind his back. His face was calm but worn, and bags were almost visible under his piercing blue eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not here to talk about me, Zdanskyi," Judy quickly stated as she came to a stop just in front of the tiger, her jaw clenched in nervousness as her eyes tried to decipher the expression held within the doctor's gaze and as her already racing heartbeat became like a machine gun. "Tell me about how my partner's doing."

"Of course," Zdanskyi said with a polite nod of his head. He turned away from her and began to stride down the long, windowless, white hallway beyond the wide doorway, and he motioned her to follow with a flick of his striped tail. Judy immediately followed his command, running alongside him to keep up with his quick pace. She couldn't help but feel a small wave of dread pass over her as the metallic doors behind her loudly buzzed and automatically shut, leaving her in the thin hallway with medical beds and carts crowding each of its sides and whose only source of light was angelically white fluorescent lights coming from overhead.

"Its needless to say that the circumstances of Mr. Wilde's... _resurrection_ are beyond unique," Doctor Zdanskyi quickly commented as he piloted them down more windowless and deserted hallways. "There have been mammals who have risen from the dead before, but all of them came back within half an hour. It took your partner almost four days to return."

"Has that had any major medical implementations?" Judy worriedly asked, glancing up at Doctor Zdanskyi as she tried to remain by his side while avoiding a collision with one of the dozens of movable beds that lined the hallway's sides. A hundred different possibilities of her partner's health - all with dreadful endings - rose up in her mind, and she gulped with fear as tsunamis of guilt and worry flooded her mind and emotions.

"One of the institute's staff found your partner dragging himself along the gravel path leading out of the gardens shortly after Chief Bogo called and alerted the Institute to the developing situation," Doctor Zdanskyi carefully began after several seconds of what had looked to be serious thought. "It was then that he was rushed into emergency care, and then into surgery, and then into recovery."

"What happened to him?" Judy frantically inquired as she turned with Doctor Zdanskyi to walk down a wider, sunlight-filled hallway with empty patient rooms on one side and storage rooms on the other. A variety of white-clad mammals ranging from a beaver to a hippo were rushing back and forth across the hallway, all of them carrying some kind of instrument or form, but none of them held Judy's interest for more than an instant.

"A swollen chamber of the heart, severe heart palpitations, very shallow breathing, and very weak senses of smell, hearing, and sight," Doctor Zdanskyi replied, and Judy felt her heart drop to the ground at his answer as a fresh feeling of guilt entered her sore heart.

"His swollen chamber has been taken care of with a small incision through his rib cage," Doctor Zdanskyi explained, turning his calm eyes downwards to look at her. "I hope you don't mind that we executed the procedure without your permission. If we had waited any longer then his situation could've become even more dire."

"Will he live?" Judy frantically asked as her entire body began to tremble and as her state of mind began to decay into nothingness, but before she could fall into a guilty state of panic Doctor Zdanskyi calmly nodded, moving his eyes away from her to observe several of the institute's staff run back and forth between two rooms opposite each other at the end of the long, bright hallway.

"He will make a full recovery and live to be as old as you or me, with the help of the right medicines," Doctor Zdanskyi responded, and Judy breathed a huge sigh of relief as some of the worry and nervousness fled from her. Her dumb fox wasn't going anywhere just yet.

"Just between you and me, I received orders from Chief Bogo to keep you away from your partner and in the dark about his health until he himself arrived," Doctor Zdanskyi said to her, his voice hushed, as his eyes continued to scan the staff running back and forth now only a few dozen feet in front of them.

Judy felt her eyes widen in confusion, and a small frown became furrowed into her forehead as she opened her mouth to scorn the Chief's name. How _dare_ he do something like that to her?

"I would've done the same," Doctor Zdanskyi commented before she could say anything, and Judy felt even more anger well up inside of her small body. "I've been through this experience with many mammals before - where they're so eager and nervous to see their loved ones that they'll do _anything_ just to meet them."

"That doesn't give you the right to keep me away from him!" Judy growled, stomping her foot down and clutching her paws into fists as her ears fell behind her head in rage and as her gaze raked over Doctor Zdanskyi's mockingly calm face. They both stood motionlessly, their walk halted by her anger, but she didn't care one bit about that. She needed an explanation.

"You are correct," Doctor Zdanskyi acknowledged with a small nod as took a step away from her and towards a closed door on the outer side of the wide hallway. "I'm obligated to inform you about your loved one's conditions by law. In fact, with regards to the judiciary, what Chief Bogo ordered me to do was illegal. However, as Mr. Wilde's medical overseer, I can decide when you may see him."

Judy felt confusion and then realization take the place of anger inside of her as Doctor Zdanskyi slowly opened the heavy, white door on the other side of the hallway. It creaked and groaned from its own weight, but once it was completely opened the unmistakable glare of sunlight streamed into the hallway, surrounding her like a blanket. The interior of the room was spotlessly clean and, aside from the beeps of medical equipment and the gentle hum of the hospital, as quiet as a thief.

"This is Mr. Wilde's room," Doctor Zdanskyi explained with a warm smile - a sight she had almost never, if ever, seen on his face - and she nodded in understanding, not needing an explanation, as she walked away from the hallway's inner wall and towards the open door, her nervous eyes trying to catch a glance of bright orange as he worried mind screamed at her to just turn away. She ignored the voice and continued her cautious advance towards the doorway, but just before she could see inside of the room she simultaneously turned towards Doctor Zdanskyi while her pace slowed.

"Is there anything I should know about his condition?" She cautiously yet formally asked, trying to keep herself as calm and collected as possible as she straightened her back and straightened her ears. Doctor Zdanskyi nodded, taking his massive paw off the door's doorknob and walking around it to stand at her heels, his squinted eyes focused on the sunlight pouring into her partner's hospital room from a massive floor-to-ceiling window.

"He's on crutches for the moment, just to help him keep balanced," The tiger quietly said with a small smile. "He's refused to eat or sleep, too. Ever since the anesthesia from the surgery wore off he's been begging to see you. Given the circumstances he's quite the sly and stubborn romantic, but, like I mentioned earlier, his senses still aren't functioning properly, and he _is_ in recovery from chest surgery. Just try to remain calm and quiet and no problems should arise."

"Will do," She said with a hushed voice as a small, eager smile formed on her face and as fresh energy and nervousness entered her system. She could feel her feet beginning to bounce her body up and down in sheer anticipation. The moment had finally arrived.

She took a deep, gleeful breath and turned away from Zdanskyi, who was still staring down at her with a calm and warm expression, and took several silent, slow steps into the room, her padded feet sliding across the white tiled floor like water running down a river.

"I'll leave you two alone," Doctor Zdanskyi whispered from behind her, and Judy nodded, only barely registering his voice and the almost-silent noise made by the door as it clicked shut.

The hospital room was flawlessly white and grey. The wall opposite the door was completely glass, looking out over the treetops just beyond the Institute's boundaries and the rolling hills far in the distance where the sun was slowly but surely descending towards. A few feet behind it was a light grey movable wall that curved around to make an almost L shape with the room's left wall. On the left side of the room, before the movable wall, was a round, deer-sized table with two equally sized chairs beside it. On the right side of the room was a low, medium-sized bed, with an assortment of screens and other pieces of medical equipment hanging on the wall behind it and notably missing the mammal that should have been in it.

 _So_ now _he decides to get up without an alarm_ _._ Judy dryly thought as she gulped in anticipation, alerted by the sight of so many tubes and wires leading towards the bed, but she quickly pushed down the new spout of worry and wandered away from the doorway and into the center of the room. The gentle din of the hospital had faded into the air, and Judy tilted her ears towards the temporary wall that had been set up in the corner when she noticed the sounds of breathing coming from behind it.

Her heart beat sped up as she approached the stiff curtain, but as she walked closer and closer to it she slowed her pace until she was dead still. Her heart was faster than a roaring V12, and she forced herself to take several deep, calming breaths to try and reduce the nervousness inside her.

 _Pull yourself together, Judy._ She told herself, squinting her eyes in response to the setting sun that had just begun to disappear behind a forested hill as she stared at the corner of the movable wall only a few inches in front of her. _Nick is right there. You killed him, and now he's back. You need to talk to him. Now._

With one last deep breath and a little more emotional preparation Judy took the last step needed to round the movable wall, and as she stood in the gap between the stiff curtain and the glass wall she heard a small, nervous squeak escape from her lips, and she moved her paws up to cover her open mouth as her eyes widened tenfold, ignoring the sunlight pouring into the room, and let her bright red ears fall behind her head in embarrassment.

Standing only a few feet in front of her was her partner. There was a crutch under each of his arms, supporting him, and a light green hospital gown was thrown over his shoulder. He looked just as thin as he did when she last saw him, although his ruffled fur had been neatly groomed and had shed to the point where it looked like it had when before he had visited Arctic One. He was facing the window, his eyes lazily closed and a relaxed yet oddly warm smile plastered on his face. He looked genuinely happy, a state of being she had barely scene him in without his usual sarcasm. There were two small carts just behind him, one to each of his sides. One of them led an IV into his right forearm from a bag of blood hooked onto the end of the cart while the other was a wheeled oxygen tank. A fox-sized breathing mask was strapped over his long muzzle, and his chest rose and fell with each strained breath.

And he was _buck_ _naked_.

His fur gleamed like fire in the sunlight and Judy couldn't help but stare at it. She could feel even more blood flowing into her face as her eyes traveled down the length of his chest to stare at his groin, left completely exposed to her gaze. She couldn't help but feel something tingle inside of her as she stared at it, but she suppressed the feeling as her paws tightened around her muzzle, trying to catch any sounds from slipping out of her mouth and rudely alerting her partner to her presence.

But Nick already knew someone was standing beside him. He had been basking in the sun for a good half hour, and had heard his room's door open and close several times during that time. His mind was focused on the warmth flowing throughout his body and thawing his frozen and numbed chest. He swore he was beginning to fall asleep standing up and hallucinating some of the sounds he heard with all the pills Stripes had given him. After about ten feet his vision became so blurry that it was useless, as did his hearing, while his sense of smell was flat out gone. The sun was a mere spot of yellow against a bright blue background.

Nick smiled as he listened to the sounds the mammal beside him was making. He could hear Doctor Z's pen scribbling against the clipboard he always kept with him like a rabbit's foot. Or was that his breathing? He couldn't tell the difference, and right now he didn't really care.

"If you don't have the rabbit I ordered right now, Stripes, then I'm going to bust something," He jokingly commented, his voice crackly and sarcastic, and he tiredly opened his splotchy vision to squint at the dazzling sky.

The mammal next to him didn't respond, and Nick listened to the quiet and muffled sounds it was making for several seconds before he gave off an almost indistinguishable shrug. He could only guess what the tiger was doing.

"I guess something's busted," He sarcastically grumbled, turning his body away from the window as he painfully and stiffly moved his crutches towards Doctor Zdanskyi. He suppressed a squeak of pain as the IV coming from the cart connecting his forearm to a bag of blood tugged on his skin, and his limp ears only faintly heard the wheeled oxygen tank to his left side squeak as it too turned. He kept his eyes on the setting sun for a few final seconds as he slowly and shakily stabilized himself with his crutches.

"Has Chief Buffalo Butt arrived yet?" Nick asked, turning his splotchy, squinted vision towards the mammal merely feet in front of his worn body. "Cause right now he's really starting to get on the two nerves inside me that haven't died. What time did he... wait. Who're you?"

Nick squinted his vision even more and leaned towards the short, blurry, grey-and-blue figure in front of him. He tried to sniff the mammal's scent, but all he could smell was the oxygen being pumped into his lungs.

On the other hand, Judy was silently panicking, her face just as red as Nick's exposed... she couldn't bring herself to even _think_ of that part's word!

Her eyes were incessantly skipping between _that_ part of him now completely revealed to her and a bandage tightly wrapped around his mid chest; the place where Zdanskyi had undoubtedly entered to perform the surgery. She didn't know whether to feel completely embarrassed or absolutely enthralled. Sure, she had had the occasional thought about her partner's body here and there, and over the course of his recovery she had seen him 'in the raw' almost every day. But now, the sight of his red fur and lean muscles made something else throb up inside her. Despite her indecisiveness, the already immense feeling of guilt inside her grew tenfold as her eyes continued to penetrate his thin body.

"Jeez, Nick, put on some clothes!" She loudly and hurriedly complained, spinning away from Nick so that she didn't have to stare at his nude body anymore as her arms fell to wrap around her midsection and as a brutally embarrassed yet ecstatic smile formed on her face. Nick felt his eyes widen in joy at the sound of her voice, and a massive smile crawled onto his face as much his breathing mask would let it.

"Carrots!" He sarcastically cheered in surprise, the warm feeling in his chest spreading throughout his body as a rosy lens came over his vision. He took several quick yet small steps towards the blur of grey and blue, his crutches creaking under the weight of his body.

"If I had known you were coming I would've tidied up a little!" Nick humorously exclaimed as he came to a stop just in front of his partner, his hunched back making her appear just a little closer to his face. Judy could feel his gaze burning into the back of her head, and with a racing heart she steadily turned towards him, forcing herself to keep her vision on his face and not his groin.

They were on eye level with one another, and they stared into each other's eyes with such intensity that Judy felt that she would melt under his watchful gaze while Nick could feel his sedated yet heavy heart beginning to beat hard, straining the stitches sealing the incision on his chest.

"You've changed a lot," Judy warmly yet also wistfully commented, her eyes prowling Nick's slender, worn face. Nick snickered at the comment, keeping his gaze locked with the two pools of purple and the soft, blurry face only inches in front of him.

"No crap, fluff," He humorously replied, shifting on his crutches so that his muzzle was mere inches away from Judy's and his crutches trapped her from retreating. "I've always thought being alive is better than being buried."

Judy chuckled at his dry humor, finding it more annoying and guilt-inducing than funny. But this was the first moment ever since that fateful day when he boarded the ship to Arctic One that she had heard one of his wry jokes from his own mouth.

Without even thinking Judy forced herself into Nick, wrapping her arms around his shoulder blades as she plunged her muzzle into his dense neck fur. She curled around him, letting darkness take over her vision as his warm fur invited her to plunge even deeper into it. Nick balanced himself on his crutches and, as much as his sore and unsteady body would let him, he wrapped his arms around Judy's small back and curled his neck around hers. He could feel her heartbeat through her uniform, and his extended fingers gently wandered around her upper back, warming her bracing uniform. He closed his eyes just as he took in a deep breath, hoping to catch a whiff of her relaxing yet enticing scent on his tongue, but a wave of disappointment passed over him as the familiar smell of oxygen flowed throughout his veins.

Their hearts were only centimeters apart, and Nick swore he could feel his reaching out to hers. Judy could also feel the sensation, and she pressed her body against his even more. Her heart reached back, and for a moment both she and him were jolted by a wave of electricity as their affection connected. It was a euphoric moment, and Nick felt his hazy mind plunge into an ocean of love at the feeling. After years of suppression and heartache - not only after his 'murder' - he was here, at the end of the struggle. He had finally won.

Nick was the first to gently pull away from the embrace after what seemed to be an eternity of love, feeling what little strength that was left in his shoulders beginning to waver. Judy wistfully followed, not wanting to separate from him but feeling the urgency in his strained muscles. She stared into his tired emeralds affectionately and moved her right paw to rest on his that had fallen from her back and returned to the grip on the crutch under his arm.

"Think you could help me to bed, Ms. Hopps?" Nick asked, raising his right eyebrow in deviousness, and Judy raised her left to mimic him as a mischievous expression came onto her face.

"Of course, Mr. Wilde," She answered, moving out of his way so that he had a clear path to the low mattress halfway across the room but refusing to budge from his side, her muscles tensing just in case he collapsed to the floor.

"You've always been such a worrier," Nick grunted as he slowly yet steadily limped across the open floor, wincing in pain as the cart connecting the IV in his arm to a blood bag wheeled along beside him.

"That's what saved your skin a few times on the force, wasn't it?" Judy rhetorically asked, keeping her paws raised to Nick's side and carefully monitoring each of his steps as if he were a kit taking its first steps. Nick snickered in laughter, his toothy smile quickly becoming strained as his shoulders began to scream and twitch in exhaustion, dead from supporting his entire body's weight for the better part of an hour.

"Pull over a chair, Cottontail," Nick eventually said when the low, wide bed was within reaching distance. Judy didn't budge from his side, keeping her body ready to catch him, but when he turned to look at her with a reassuring gaze she reluctantly made herself relax.

"Fine," She sternly and warmly replied, her voice secretly worried, as she strode away from his side and towards the large chair against the wall opposite the side of the bed. "But don't expect me to pick you up when you fall!"

"Hopefully I won't need your help," Nick commented with a huff as he rotated himself, the carts to his sides now both on his right as their cords became tangled, and he lowered himself to sit on the edge of the stiff, uncomfortable mattress as he stared at Judy's blurry body. "If I'm not killed the next time I should be dead then I'll just have to kill myself!"

"You wouldn't dare," Judy challenged as she pulled the massive, wooden chair away from the wall it was resting against and drug it across the open tile floor. At first she had a difficult time pulling the heavy object, and Nick snickered in laughter as he watched on.

"Not without my permission!" She grunted as she oriented herself towards the chair and wrapped both her paws around one of its legs. "If you die it'll only be if I kill you!"

Nick laughed at her joke, resting his crutches against the bed's side as his left paw removed his unworn garment from his shoulder and laid it beside the supports before he began to slowly and carefully scoot towards the pillows at the head of the bed.

"I wouldn't put that past you, Sweetheart," Nick jovially said, scooting his behind towards the edge of the edge of the thin polyester sheets with small, painful movements. Judy didn't smile at his joke, thankful that he wasn't looking at her face.

 _But I did kill him._ She grievously and dreadfully thought to himself as she rotated the chair and began to push it towards the end of the bed. _I was the one who didn't do enough for him. Everyone else was doing something, even him! Why couldn't I have done anything more? Why'd I have to be so weak?_

When Nick was finally rested underneath the bed's translucent sheets he rested his back against the bed's flimsy headboard and lazily turned his head towards Judy. A small wave of worry swept over his mind as he watched her push the chair to stand next to the two carts by the bed's side. She seemed tense - too tense for what was going on. There was something weighing down her mind and pulling her into a quiet and reserved slump.

"What's up, Carrots?" Nick called out, his quiet voice barely audible over the noise the breathing mask was making, and he pulled the device off his muzzle and let it fall to rest around his neck.

"Nothing," Judy called out a little too quick as she rounded the chair and pulled herself atop it, finding that it was just perfect for her body despite its massive size. The ever rising tide of guilt within her was lapping at the last few atolls of happiness inside her, and as she sat on the chair's edge and looked over her partner the tide of guilt began to rise like global warming.

Nick, on the other paw, didn't believe her answer for a moment. She was looking over him as if she was the one responsible for putting him through all the dejection and agony he had experienced, and when her wide, tense eyes connected with his the worry in him grew exponentially.

"Come on, Fluff," He warmly chided, sliding his paw across the polyester sheets to grip her paws tightly clenched together as they rested in her lap. "I thought you were an honest bun."

Judy let her eyes drop to her lap as Nick took her paw in his, and the ever-rising tide of guilt was momentarily halted as she felt his slow and steady heartbeat pass up her arm and into her chest. A small, unworried smile formed on her face, and she squeezed his paw back as their fingers curled around one another and as she silently moved their interconnected digits off her thighs back onto the bed's sheets.

"Nick," She gently began, searching her partner's tired half-closed eyes for the right words as her grip on his paw tightened even further. "If you could go back in time and fix something terrible you put someone through, would you?"

Nick remained silent for several seconds, his lazy eyes studying his partner's face for any sign of emotion seeping through her grey fur. His skills were beyond rusty, and his blurry vision didn't aid him in any way, but sunken somewhere in the wide pools of purple on her face was guilt, and he let loose a sad sigh as his head gently fell against the bed's backboard and as his tired eyes closed shut. He could feel what she was feeling, and he didn't like it one bit. Luckily, his silver tongue was just as operational as the last day he had used it.

"No," He honestly answered, his fingers curling around the soft paw holding his. "I wouldn't, because everything that's happened has led me here. And right now there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

The last of Judy's sanity broke down, and she squeezed her eyes shut as her ears fell behind her head and she plunged her head towards Nick and her's connected paws as a flood of sudden tears began to drip onto the white sheets. Grief and guilt consumed her entire body once again, and she was back in that dark place she had been right after his death. Even his gentle heartbeat couldn't soothe her pain. She had _killed_ this mammal. The mammal she _loved_ \- and he loved her! Yet he didn't seem to care about the blood on her paws! She was so guilty, and he still loved her! Why'd he have to be so forgiving, and why'd she have to be so weak and lazy?

Nick was stunned by her outburst, and he felt his heart break in two as tears dripped from her closed eyes and onto his fingers. He squeezed her paw even tighter, but her loud and guilty crying refused to subside, and with a sudden urge to comfort her and a new throb of love in his chest he moved his left paw across the sheets to gently stroke the back of her head.

"Judy," He soothingly began, ruffling the fur on the bases of her ears, but Judy shot her head upward, throwing his paw into the air as her miserable and guilty eyes connected with his. She tried staring into his warm, worried pools of green with all her might, but all she could think about was the life slipping out of them once again, and she slowly shook her head as her jaw clenched even tighter and as fresh tears began to gloss over her eyes.

"I killed you, Nick," She painfully began, her eyes only briefly darting up to connect with his, and Nick felt his wounded heart snap in two pieces at the sound of her dreadful and pitiful voice. "I ended your life, and you don't seem to care. And I don't understand why."

"It's because-" Nick began, but he felt a massive urge rise up inside him as Judy cut his words short and turned her full gaze towards him.

"I killed you..." She said, her words drifting off as her eyes once again fell to the bedsheets. "I killed you, and I loved you. I'm a murderer. Maybe I do deserve to di- MMPH!"

Judy reeled back as Nick thrust his muzzle into hers, her eyes the size of saucers and fingers suddenly extended in surprise. His lips pressed against her gently, enticing her to join him. For a moment she overcame her guilt and all the negative emotions inside her fell away. A warm, fuzzy feeling rose up in her chest, and slowly she began to kiss back just as Nick wrapped his paw around the back of her head, pulling her closer towards him. She accepted his invitation and scooted over from the chair and onto the edge of the bed, settling herself into a kneeling position as she wrapped her left paw around the back of his head and as the fingers on her right rapturously interlocked with his.

Their first kiss was blissful and heavenly for the both of them, and a feeling of triumph passed over Judy as their tongues began to wrestle in each other's mouths. But Nick didn't feel as energetic as she did. Underneath his closed eyelids tears of fear and guilt were beginning to form.

His partner was dead wrong. She wasn't just a dumb bunny if she honestly thought she was his murderer; she was a _retarded_ one! His Primal Self was the one who had killed him!

Yet, in a dark and mysterious way, his Primal Self was _himself_ , wasn't it? He was the only mammal to blame for his death. Regret filled his entirety as the first few days in the darkness with his partner blitzed past his mind's eye. Why had he waited so long to try and improve? It wasn't like he had anything better to do!

And look where that had led his partner! It didn't matter about if he lived or died, only if she was happy or not. It was all _his_ fault. _He_ was the mammal responsible for putting his partner through all the guilt and pain and _suffering_. Not only in these past few days, too. He still remember seeing her for the first time when his Primal Self had stalked her and he had been forced to watch on. All that time he was gone, she was grieving. She was in _pain._ Nothing but _pain._ If anyone deserved to die for what they'd done, it was him.

"You stupid, stupid rabbit," He managed to say between guilty and horrendously wretched wheezes, pulling his lips away from Judy's and moving his left paw away from hers to gently stroke her puffy cheek. His eyes were just barely cracked open, and the silent tears beginning to stream down his face blurred his already fuzzy vision, making his partner no more than a mass of color.

"You're as innocent as you've always been," He continued, his voice filled to the brim with self-loathing as the backs of fingers gently traveled down his partner's face, and he couldn't help but feel his heart swell and press against his ribs. "If anyone's to blame for all this, it's _me_. I'm the one who didn't do enough to save myself; you nearly worked your self to death because of me! And I just _sat there._ All I've ever done was cause you pain..."

Judy remained absolutely silent as Nick fell back towards the pillows, resting the back of his hunched-over head on the flimsy headboard as his paws retreated from her face to limply rest on his lap. Fresh pains along with a passionate burning feeling erupted in her chest, and she tensed her body.

"I should just leave," Nick wistfully whispered, his eyes unblinking as they unseeingly stared at the outlines of his feet poking through the bed's thin, white sheets that now seemed to trap him in place. "It'd be for the best. I wouldn't be able to hurt you anymor-"

Before he could finish his miserable words Nick felt a mass collide with him, pushing his head backwards to strike the flimsy headboard and temporarily stunning his senses and focus. He didn't need sight or smell to know what was going on; he could taste his partner's tongue in his mouth, jousting with his, and he could feel both her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. Through the thin bandage over his sore chest and his partner's uniform he could feel her heart beating away like a drum, and his sped up in turn as her paws pulled the fur on the back of his head.

It took him a few seconds to regain his senses, and when he did he began to kiss back, all the guilt in his tired body routed. At first it was his lips that responded to Judy, but eventually his tongue became involved, taking the battle between their tongues onto a whole other level. A blissful, euphoric feeling consumed his body, and he forced his eyes shut as his arms curled around his partner, one of his paws on her lower back while the other covered the back of her head and limp ears.

Judy could feel a new wave of affection for the fox she had fallen in love with wash over her, but tears were still underneath her closed eyelids. A dreadful, hurt, yet guilt-free feeling had built up in her chest. She _despised_ seeing her partner like that. Vulnerable, self-hating, _guilt-stricken_ \- those were words she'd never see on his face again if she had anything to say about it.

"Shut up," She managed to growl between kisses, briefly forcing Nick's strong tongue out of her mouth. "Shut up you big, dumb fox."

Her partner's grip around her only tightened at her words, and she pressed her entire body against his as wave after wave of ecstasy and passion passed over her. This was what she had been waiting for her entire life. This single, throbbing, euphoric moment. And she never wanted it to end.

But, like all things in life, their fuzzy embrace had to end at some point.

After a time that in her mind was only a few instants Nick pulled away from her, gasping for breath. His oxygen-starved heart was beating out of his chest, and his equally starved mind was on the verge of going unconscious. His breaths were more like wheezes, and he collapsed back onto the bed's headboard while he moved a shaky paw to his neck to pull his breathing mask back over his muzzle.

He closed his eyes as he took a series of deep breaths, the incorrigible smell of his partner and the sounds of her worried, quick pants coming back to him at a painfully slow rate. Eventually he cracked open his eyes, and only a few inches in front of him were his partner's amethysts, just as stunning and sparkling as they always were.

"Maybe we should wait until I've got this thing out of my arm and this mask off my face before we make out again," He wryly suggested, and Judy gave a dry huff of laughter, her heart still beating out of her chest and worry once again in firm control of her mind. She'd wait as long as Nick needed until an intimate moment between the two of them wouldn't cause him to suffocate.

"That's a good idea," She commented, tightening her grip around the back of his head, and a small smile came onto her face as she listened to his heavy breaths. Nick faintly yet warmly smiled back at her, and he moved his paw back onto the far side of her head and gently pulled it towards his chest. Judy accepted his embrace, resting her head in the gap between his chest and chin as she gently shut her eyes.

Nick's fur was soft, and she played with it with her fingers, smiling as he began to make circles with his claw at the base of her left ear. Each second she was with this fox the butterflies in her chest quadrupled in number. She wanted to marry this fox, call him her mate, and raise kits with him - if that was even possible! But what truly made her heart make leaps and bounds was that she could feel the same dreams drifting out of her partner's mind.

"You ever noticed that," Nick slowly and painfully began, rubbing his chin against the top of Judy's head as his squinted eyes surveyed the blurry, white room. "We both are idiots."

"At least we're idiots together," Judy countered, pressing her forehead further into her partner's soft neck fur.

"That's not what I meant, but..." Nick said, trailing off as he gave off a confused shrug. "Your mind works in strange ways, Carrots."

"You're telling me," She mumbled, beginning to feel oblivious to anything but the heat radiating from her partner's bare fur. It was like she was being hugged by a thousand tiny butterflies.

Nick casually smiled, pressing himself harder against his partner's body with all the love-fueled strength he could muster up from his worn body. He stared out the window, his eyes focused on the almost-set blur of light that was the sun. He studied the bright shape carefully, and after several seconds of affectionate and deep thought an evil and toothy smile came onto his face.

"Hey Carrots," He deviously started, his eyes not daring to move away from the last rays of the sun, and he felt Judy shift on his chest and barely saw her ears lazily raise. "Were you looking at my ... _ahem ..._ earlier?"

Judy opened her eyes at the question, alerted by her partner's suggestive tone, and she felt her paws begin to sweat in nervousness.

"Yes," She curtly responded, her muscles tensing, and Nick nodded, a sly expression coming onto his face as his grin closed. "But don't think that mean-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Fluff," Nick wryly interrupted, stroking the fur on the back of her head. "I get what you were thinking. Just wanted to have a _Wilde Time_ , Right?"

As quick as a dart Judy shot up to Nick's face, one of her paws jabbing his stomach while the other pulled his ears close to her mouth. Nick felt his eyes grow wide in fear, and Judy meekly smiled at his expression.

"If you ever utter those words again, Slick," She gently yet passionately began, rage welling up in her love-filled chest. "Then I'll kill you and Voltaire _and_ burn down that damned bar."

* * *

 **8 months of hard work just for a bunch of people complaining about how Nick 'shouldn't have died' and then how I 'should've left him dead'? No comment...**

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Epilogue - March 15

A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 7 - March 31

 **A quick update on _A Fox in Shining Armor._ Chapter 6's release date has been pushed back to an unspecified day; probably sometime around March 4. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

 **This chapter was last edited February 28, 2016**


	21. Epilogue

**Right now I'm recovering from surgery. I've written this while I'm affected by anesthesia, so it's not perfect, but for the moment it'll do. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"I have to admit," Chief Bogo apologetically started with his eyes firmly locked on the two mammals kissing on the bed just beyond the small, circular one-way window. "Their reunion went far better than I thought it would."

"Is that why you wanted Ms. Hopps to be kept away from Mr. Wilde until you arrived?" Doctor Zdanskyi pried, turning his blue gaze to stare at the Chief's worn face. "Because you predicted she would take a drastic action?"

"You saw her before," The Chief defensively grumbled with a flick of his head towards the officer. "She was irrational. Almost suicidal. But she pulled through, didn't she, along with Wilde."

The Chief let loose a disappointed, guilty sigh, and he took a step back from the hospital room's shut door to stand in the center of the hallway. Doctor Zdanskyi watched him with his paws behind his back, but his feet remained firmly planted beside the door.

"I owe them both an apology," Chief Bogo admitted, his body tense. "I underestimated their strength and resilience yet again."

"Don't be too critical of yourself, Chief," Doctor Zdanskyi calmly soothed. "You did what you thought would be in the best interest of both parties."

The Chief didn't listen to his feline counterpart, instead remaining silent as he closed his eyes and searched his empty mind for peace.

"I suppose I should also apologize to Wilde for killing him," He ventured after several seconds of silent as his eyes reopened and as a warm grin came onto his face. "Since it was probably that drug from Drussels that pushed him over the edge."

Doctor Zdanskyi returned the Chief's warm smile with one of his own, and he turned back to stare at the two embracing mammals on the other side of the glass while the Chief wandered back to join him.

"Speaking of which," He started, a frown forming on his face as his eyes darted to the doctor. "You've been the voice of reason throughout this story. Do you know how our fox resurrected himself?"

"I have not the faintest idea," Doctor Zdanskyi admitted with a chuckle, yet he allowed a small smile to form on his face as the Chief grumbled in disappointment.

"But I have a theory," Zdanskyi admitted, and the Chief whirled his head towards him as an interested expression formed on his face. "Consider that Mr. Wilde was never dead in the first place. Perhaps he was in a state of pseudo-hibernation when he was found in Arctic One. That would explain why he 'rose from the dead' initially and also suggest why he returned from death's door only a few hours ago. That drug I was so vehemently opposed to was probably the push he needed to return to that state and reaffirm his control over his body."

"But that's only a theory," The Chief commented, turning back to stare through the circular window.

"And as far as I am concerned, it shall remain in that state forever," Doctor Zdanskyi chimed in, his relaxed gaze following his counterpart's as a fresh smile grew on his face. "If you want my unscientific answer, then I'd probably say it was love that saved the both of them, despite how cliche that sounds."

"Ha!" Chief Bogo loudly exclaimed in amusement, and in the same instant the two mammals latched onto one another on the other side of the glass casually pulled away from one another. "What a fanciful explanation! Yet this is Zootopia, and despite the strangeness of Wilde's and Hopps' relationship I suppose it can be considered... what are they doing?"

Doctor Zdanskyi leaned in with a frown, intrigued to see what had caused the Chief's demeanor to change entirely in a mere instant. The fox and rabbit in the moonlit room had pressed their foreheads together and were staring at one another with suggestive and devious gazes. The fox's right paw was sliding down the rabbit's back to play with her short white tail while his other paw began to unlatch her armored police vest. All the while their eyes remained locked, and as they descended into a new, lewder embrace a bulge began to push up through the bed's white sheets and against the rabbit's hips from in-between the fox's legs.

"For god's sake," Chief Bogo angrily grumbled as he turned away from the window and began to sullenly stalk down the hallway, trying to put as much distance between him and the room as he could. "Sort them out, Zdanskyi. I've got to sort out the Mayor and his 'master plan' for all this mess."

"I told Ms. Hopps not to put physical stress on Mr. Wilde!" Doctor Zdanskyi growled in reply, and he threw open the door in annoyance and stalked into the room. "Intercourse is unacceptable! Would it suit you if your partner had a heart attack in the middle of the act, Ms. Hopps?!"

* * *

The room's only source of light was a raw, hanging light bulb directly above a long wooden table. On either side of the table was a simple steel chair, yet only one was occupied.

The fox was seated furthest from the room's steel, bolted door, and in the dim light only his frighteningly grey muzzle and his equally frightening claw extensions were visible. Silence had grasped him firmly, yet he defied it by gently tapping his claws on the table in anticipation of what was coming.

The door opened with a loud creak, and a sheep slowly walked into the room with her eyes wide and mouth open. At first she was confused, but as soon as she caught sight of the fox's claws resting motionlessly on the table a hateful yet intrigued grimace crawled onto her face, and she paced towards the free chair.

A guard shut the door behind her as she stepped up and sat across from him with her restrained hooves resting on the table, and she leaned forward so that the name tag on her orange jumpsuit was in the fox's full view. He smiled at its sight.

" _Prophit_ ," The sheep mockingly spat like a bad taste. "I wasn't expecting to see you in the flesh."

"There is a first time for everything, Dawn," The fox replied as he sent the sheep a toothy grin. "And in times like these, allies need to stick together."

"Allies?" The sheep repeated, and she frowned in mock confusion. "Is that what we are, Prophit? I'd rather see you in prison than beside me."

"I can say the same," The fox concurred, clearing his throat and leaning forward so that more of his steel claws and steel teeth were visible. "But the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"And who is this _shared enemy_?" The sheep rudely demanded, a smile still present on her face.

"The City," The fox replied, his voice elated. "Zootopia. Mayor Lionheart. Who else?"

The sheep grumbled in response, letting the smile fall from her face and her hooves clench in anger.

"What do you want, Prophit?" She pointedly asked, and the fox leaned back in his chair at the question.

"The freedom of all predators," He curtly answered. "From the scourge of prey."

"Ironic," The sheep commented as grin returned to her face. "I wanted the opposite, and I ended up in jail."

"That's because your execution to seize control the mayor's office was severely flawed," The fox countered, his smile falling as he ended his backwards lean. "You put too much reliance in criminals to try and become a politician. You cannot go around the law, Dawn."

"Then how would you get into office, huh?" The sheep yelled in anger, standing up on the chair to tower over the unintimidated fox as a hopeless expression came onto her face. "Buy your way in? You've got enough money to, I bet, but how will you cope with revealing your entire criminal history? You're as much as a fiend as I am! There's no way into the office other than to be elected. Lionheart's record is as clean as a whistle."

"Not entirely," The fox informatively countered, and he paused so he could watch the astonishment grow on his counterpart's face.

"What do you mean?" The sheep eagerly asked in confusion and suspicion as she lowered herself back towards the chair. The fox cleared his throat and turned his gaze downwards to stare at his steel claws in answer.

"Who is the one mammal you despise more than Lionheart?" He inquired as he began to flex his fingers, letting his sharp claws shine in the dim light.

" _Officer_ Judy Hopps," The sheep answered with a menacing growl.

"And why do you hate her?" The fox pushed, leaning forward in his chair so that his entire face and fiery green eyes were in the light.

"Because she betrayed her own kind," The sheep growled, her hate for the fox temporarily overshadowed by a lust for revenge. "At least that damned fox of hers is gone. The more she suffers, the better!"

"I completely agree, Dawn, but what If I were to flip everything on its head?" The fox continued, leaning forward slightly more as his paws interlocked with one another. "What If I were to tell you that Nicholas Wilde was still alive, and that Mayor Lionheart has covered up his existence."

"They I'd say that's a lie," The sheep countered, crossing her arms over her orange jumpsuit as much as she could in her handcuffs. "That fox was murdered by some _bear_. Why should I care if he's still alive?"

"Because he and Hopps are having a fling," The fox answered with a toothy, hateful grin, and a stunned yet disgusted expression crawled onto the sheep's face.

"Two unnatural scum," She growled. "If I were in power, I'd have them both imprisoned."

"Then let us make a deal," The fox calmly exclaimed. "We are both fighting for the same goals. I can position you in the Mayor's office, where you can finally achieve your dream of separating predator from prey. And give me the mayorship over all of predator-kind."

"You're a criminal, a _fox_ , and an enthusiastic fool," The sheep growled in defiance, all her hate once again directed towards her counterpart. "How do I know this isn't all some rouse to put my fellow prey in the National Assembly into even more trouble?"

"You don't," The fox answered, looking downwards to stare at the table. "That's why I'm asking you to trust me."

The sheep began to laugh in outrage at the fox's proposition, yet he remained calm, unaffected by her outburst.

"About a week ago Nicholas Wilde was on the verge of death," The fox reminisced, and as he spoke the amused expression of the sheep's face slowly turned to be dead serious. "He had been driven mad by some kind of primal instinct that lurks within all of us, predator and prey. I rushed him medicine ordered by the city's police chief, and as far as my informants tell me that was what saved his life after an initially poor performance. His existence and recovery has been kept completely under wraps, mandated by our _beloved_ mayor.

"When - not _if_ , but when - Nicholas is under my thumb, then I will commit atrocities in his name. His existence shall be revealed; the mayor will resign, forced into a life of exile by the outraged mammals of Zootopia. Your puppets will take control, pardon you, and instill you as the de facto mayor. Then our dreams will have blossomed."

The sheep remained absolutely silent as she stared at the fox's deathly serious face. She didn't speak for several minutes, instead processing the plan her counterpart had told her. She still despised him, but she didn't have much of a choice if she ever wanted to see something else besides her cell's bars.

"I want Judy Hopps all to myself if your plan goes to plan," The sheep negotiated, and the fox nodded as a fresh vicious grimace crawled onto his face.

"Of course, on the condition that you'll turn a blind eye towards Mr. Wilde," He added. "He's been a traitor and a thorn in my business for far too long."

"And what business is that, Prophit?" The sheep asked, extending one of her hooves out towards the fox as much as her handcuffs would let her, and the fox smiled at her deviously as he shook her hoof with his steel-coated paws.

"Profit," He mischievously answered. "Profit that I intend to use to make all predators wealthy again, free from the weight of prey and traitors alike. I am the Prophet of Profit."

"Clever," The sheep sarcastically commented, and she withdrew her hooves from the fox's paw in the same instant he rose up from his chair and began his slow stroll towards the cell's door. "Was that a threat I heard?"

"No, no no no no," The fox honestly answered, turning his jaw over his shoulder to send the sheep one last frightening grimace with his steel teeth. "No threats, Dawn, only promises. That's something you should remember. But our little old mayor and his little foxy friend will soon find that my retributon knows no limits."

* * *

 **Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Author's Note + Bonus Scene- March 20**

 **A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 7 - March 31**

 **This chapter was last edited March 16, 2017**


	22. Bonus Scene and Author's Note

"Hold up, Fluff," Nick gleefully shouted between heavy pants. His mind was focused on his crutches and trying to keep them by his sides without them slipping on the wet leaves sticking to the pavement path his partner had led him down. Fracturing his skull wouldn't be the best thing for his health - nor was this strenuous walk! But he needed exercise and his rabbit wanted to show him something, so who was he to argue with a stubborn and fretful bunny?

"There we go," He grunted aloud as the leaves thinned out and sunlight began to stream in through the canopy overhead. He turned his gaze upwards, confident that he could shuffle along stably again, and stared at the rabbit looking back at him from the end of the pathway through a squint. He grumbled quietly to himself as he continued his approach, not wanting to make his counterpart think that his annoyance was because of the hike. It was just that his eyesight was returning - and that meant he was once again susceptible to the sun's blinding rays.

"Hurry up, slow poke!" Judy shouted at him while she incessantly hopped from one foot to the other, and Nick smiled and sped up his pace as much as he could. He could feel her eagerness pulsing out from her green blouse even from here, and some of it managed to penetrate his thinning fur and excite him. Here he was with the mammal he loved, the mammal whom he had waited so long to see again. It still seemed impossible to him that he was with her, but he didn't question the universe. Fortune was on his side, and that made his heart swell to the point where it was stretching the sutures on his chest.

"Slow down, before you make me bust something!" He sarcastically shouted as Judy turned down a bright curve in the concrete path and disappeared from sight behind the surrounding trees and ferns.

"Then _hurry_ _up_ , before I break your crutches and leave you out here all on your own!" She energetically yelled with a twinge of frustration from behind the corner, and Nick felt his smile grow a little more as he rounded the same curve in the path.

"I can almost walk without them, Sweetheart," He daringly commented as he caught sight of his rabbit standing on the edge of the path with her eyes focused outwards. An earnest expression was on her face as she stared at the blindingly bright scene between a break in the trees, and even as he came to a standstill beside her she paid no attention to him.

"I'm Nick Wilde," He began to lightheartedly joke, following his partner's purple gaze outwards from the path. "I've been dead twice. I can handle a half-mile hike without... Wow..."

Sprawled out before him was paradise itself, in all of its magnificent grandeur. The mid-morning sun was barely peeking behind the rolling hills on the other side of the valley, illuminating every tree on the hills to a light green. The river that ran just beside the institute was crystal blue, and even from its constant course far below him at valley's floor the incessant sounds of its gentle torrent were still audible. No matter where his eyes traveled there wasn't the slightest sight of civilization. It was almost overwhelming, the remoteness and beauty of everything, but the warmth radiating onto his fur and his partner's quick, constant breaths motivated him to stand still and enjoy the sight.

 _What am I turning into?_ Nick easily asked himself while he relaxed his muscles and reclined into his crutches. _Some philosophical jerk. Jeez. Soon enough I'll be growing a mam bun. Wonder what Carrots will think._

Nick didn't bother asking the rabbit standing next to him and instead moved his left paw off his crutch to grip her limp paw. Her ears shot up as he wrapped his fingers in-between hers, and she turned towards him with a surprised expression without uttering a sound. Even from the corners of his eyes he could see a smile forming on her face, and he felt her digits curl around his in a wordless show of compassion. After a while he closed his eyes, basking in the love that seemed to whirl around him. For the first time in years he finally felt content.

"You know, it's gonna be hard," Judy eventually said after what had felt like a lifetime, and Nick opened his gaze and looked over her downcast yet strength-filled face. "Just jumping back into society. A lot's changed in two years, you know."

"I'll have to get a new phone," He jovially acknowledged, and Judy turned towards him with a humored smile and a partially raised eyebrow.

"Is that really the first thing that springs into your mind?" She critically asked.

"You betcha," He answered with a smile, and she affectionately scoffed in fit of annoyance while her eyes turned back to stare at the valley. Nick remained silent as he studied her face, and he felt a small feeling of nervousness push itself into the forefront of his mind as he rolled his jaw. A lot _had_ changed since he had departed from Zootopia on that fateful voyage. But so had he. He wasn't the same, closed-minded fox that had been abandoned at Arctic One.

"Truth is, Carrots, I'm not too worried about jumping back into the city and the ZPD," He confessed, turning back to look towards the rising sun, and from the corner of his gaze he caught a sight of purple. "You see, I've got a cute little bunny up my sleeve that's gonna help me grip the reins again."

"Awwwww!" Judy lightly exclaimed in warmth, and she leaned over onto him and buried her cheek into his shoulder. Nick grinned in delight at the feeling of her heartbeat against his fur, and he pressed his cheek into the top of her head.

"But don't call me cute again," She warmly warned with a twinge of seriousness while their scents wrapped around one another.

"Sue me, cutie," He deviously countered, his grin now a full smile.

* * *

 **Wow. What a journey it's been. Two surgeries, an election, family issues and senior year in school.**

 **AND, of course, a 22 chapter story. (I think it's 22, at least...)**

 **I'm pleased to announce that this is the end of _Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction._ But is this the end of the story? Hell No! Did you see how ominous I left the ending? Prophit ain't gone! (Not yet, anyways...) I hope you all will wait around for _Primal's_ second part:**

 _ **Intrigue**_

 _ **A Zootopia Fanfiction**_

 _Q: So when will_ Intrigue _be released?_

 **A: As of now _Intrigue_ has no release date. Most likely its prologue will be up and ready to read by mid-summer (that's northern hemisphere, folks!). I'll post any updates on the release date here, in this 'chapter'. Just don't check every other day or complain about how ' _long you'll have to wait'_. Writing takes time!**

 _Q: What will_ Intrigue _be about?_

 **A: I'm not revealing major plot points, but _Intrigue_ will revolve around the conflict between Judy/Nick and society, Nick and his duty to keep his true identity secret, and Prophit's attempt at segregating Zootopia. The story will take place in the months after _Primal_ , with the prologue taking place at the end of Nick's recovery at the MGRI.**

 _Q: Is there anything else you can tell us about the story?_

 **A:** _noun:_ **intrigue**

 **1**.

 _formal_ the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental to someone.

 _informal_ dirty tricks

 _alternative_ a secret love affair.

 **2**.

 _formal_ a mysterious or fascinating quality.

 _Q: Great. A vague answer. So what will you do now?_

 **A: If you didn't already know, I'm already involved with a second story called _A Fox in Shining Armor: A Zootopia Fanfiction_ that is set in a medieval/renaissance AU. Go read that if you haven't yet! That will be my priority over the next few months, and as such will be updated on a bi-monthly (2 times a month) schedule until I have more free time. Also, my second priority is to fervently edit and correct _Primal_ itself. I haven't had the time to really put my back into it and edit it properly, so expect minor grammar/ word choice changes over these next few months but NO major plot changes.**

 **But, Like i said before, _Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction_ is finished.**

* * *

 **If you have any questions, concerns, requests, etc, please feel free to PM me. PLEASE DON'T COMMENT QUESTIONS - THIS CAN BECOME VERY ANNOYING SOMETIMES. I will answer all questions sent to me in this 'chapter'.**

Q: are you looking for more oc

A: Not really. I feel like OCs take life out of a story, and I use them begrudgingly and with intense caution. I don't just like to create a named character with a backstory just for the heck of it! I feel that it's then that the main characters of the story begin to have the life drained out of them and transferred to someone's interpretation of themselves in that universe. Hence why none of my own creations have taken the forefront of the story.

Q: Hey I have a question about your the sequel to this story why would nick have to keep his true identity a secret?

A: That's been answered several times throughout the story. Allow me to take you back to chapter ? (honestly I can't remember where I wrote it, but I KNOW it's there). Since Mayor Lionheart kept Nick's existence a secret to avoid a political firestorm (mentioned in CH4), he complicated the situation by therefore acknowledging that Nick was dead. While this drew the public eye away from the situation for good, Nick just can't jump back into society now that he's all patched up! He'll have to live the rest of his life either under a **NEW ALIAS** or move into a remote district of the city ( **THAT'S NOT HAPPENING** ). Hence, this is Lionheart's weakness and what Prophit will exploit to remove him from the mayor-ship.

 **I should probably say that _Zootopia_ and its respective characters all belong to Disney but that _Prophit, Voltaire, and Zdanskyi_ all belong to me. Don't steal, but feel free to ask!**

 **I honestly thank each and every one of you for reading this piece. I never imagined how much love this would get. It all started out as a side hobby, but turned into a story with 300 followers. Damn Spartans. I don't care if you've only just joined or you've been here since the story had 5 words, you all matter to me. From me to you,**

 **Thanks for a wonderful ride.**

 _Sincerely, Tsar Volkov_


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